The Navid Scrolls - Book One: Revolution
by CautiouslySubtle
Summary: Fire. Air. Water. Earth. Just like the cycle of the seasons, the cycle of the Avatar renews itself once again. Seventy years after the events depicted in the last season of The Legend of Korra, this is the story of Avatar Navid, her successor from the Earth Kingdom. Mostly OCs.
1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE**

233 AG

EVEN if it was logical to do things this way, it still felt inefficient.

It was only their second stop, and it would certainly take less time than the previous one had. But Asami couldn't help thinking about how long the whole process had the potential to last. She understood the rationale behind the method just fine and could see how it made sense, but the slowness of it still angered her. The size of the Earth Kingdom didn't help, either. The enormous mass of land wasn't quick to traverse, and they would probably have to do it many times, despite what everyone kept saying. The vastness of the eastern continent spread out underneath them as the two bison flew, carrying the small group of passengers to their next destination. Truth is, Asami wasn't too fond of their plan, no matter how logical it was. She had previously agreed with it back when Mako explained its reasoning, but now she had her doubts. After the three fruitless months they had spent scrutinizing the countless districts of Ba Sing Se, frustration built up in her and the enthusiasm she had felt at first vanished almost completely. This search could end up being the most exhausting thing they had ever done. There were millions of people in the capital, and not one of them was the one they wanted.

And now they were going to the next largest city in the Earth Kingdom to do the whole thing again. How… rudimentary. The new Avatar was statistically (that's the word Mako had used) more likely to have been born in a large city. They had more people, so the odds were better. It was so reasonable and so silly at the same time. Asami liked it less and less the more she thought about it, but she'd be lying if she said that she could think of a better alternative. Leaning against the back of the bison's saddle and using a blanket to cover her body from the neck down, she thought about how discouraging the prospect of searching the world's largest nation was. She had no motivation to participate in the conversation that Mako and Alima were having right in front of her, as the two examined a map and discussed the quickest way to cover ground. She heard in silence as they agreed that the geography of their next stop meant that flying over it like they had in Ba Sing Se would be impractical and then brainstormed possible solutions. To their right, the other bison carried Kai, who held the reins, and Bolin and Opal, who sat on the saddle, the Earthbender having one arm around his wife's shoulder while she rested her head against his chest. Asami had no idea why any of them had come. The plan relied entirely on Jinora.

It was her special abilities that they hoped would lead them to the next Avatar. She was the one that could sense spiritual energy in the air and pinpoint its location. Sitting by herself on her bison's withers, completely alienated from the debate going on behind her, she meditated peacefully holding a blue armband and a polar bear dog leash between her hands like they were pure gemstones. Asami nearly asked Mako and Alima to shut up so she could concentrate. She was the backbone of this search party, so whatever strategy they came up with would be completely useless if they didn't let her do her job. Why were they even there? What could they do besides cheering Jinora on? What contribution could they, or Bolin and Opal, or Kai, or even Asami herself make that would actually be of any benefit? All of them were well past their prime; they were just a bunch of old people thinking they were still young and useful. The whole plan was so stupid.

Asami closed her eyes, feeling the build-up of anger in her chest. It wasn't like her to allow frustration to turn into bitterness this way; she had always been patient. But this situation was different. To say the least, it was atypical. They were looking for the person that would take up a role that had belonged to someone they cared about, someone Asami cared about. Their search hadn't produced any results yet, but it had made one thing crystal clear.

She hadn't moved on from Korra's death yet. She thought she had, but having to find her _replacement_ rubbed salt in a wound that had never fully closed. It didn't matter that six years had passed. That still wasn't okay. As soon as it happened, her friends had surrounded her from all sides, showering her with love and support in the immediate aftermath. But as the months and the years passed, everyone started to move on. Everyone except her, of course. More than once, she had felt indignation at that fact. How could they? It was like they didn't love her.

But she would always rebuke herself for thinking that. She knew that wasn't fair, and she also knew that Korra wouldn't have wanted her to feel that way about the friends they both cherished so much. Hadn't they stood by her side through thick and thin, taking part in her battles, helping her up in defeat and sharing her joy in victory? Hadn't they been the support she and Asami needed when the nasty critics had decried what they had as vulgar? Hadn't they been a true family for so many years? Weren't they here now, despite the fact that only one of them had the powers necessary, just to be by her side? Didn't they all have families of their own? Besides, weren't they dealing with their own losses as well?

Mako's voice brought her back to reality.

"Asami? Are you okay?"

She opened her eyes and saw him looking at her. Alima was now at the front of the bison, showing something to Jinora on the map. Mako's face, wrinkled for many reasons - being in his eighties, the hardship of the years after Korra's death, decades of near-constant frowning - showed genuine concern. Asami regretted her moment of ungratefulness. How could she have failed to appreciate the fact that her friends were still there next to her after all this time? She looked at Mako and tried to imagine what it must be like for him, given what he had lost. Without Korra, the world had turned into a darker place, but Mako had been hit especially hard. Nevertheless, he was there. He couldn't sense spiritual energy, but he couldn't stay home either.

She smiled at him. "I'm fine. I was just resting."

He seemed satisfied with her answer and joined Jinora and Alima. Asami calmed herself down. She drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly, repeating the process a few times as the rarefied air gave her little oxygen. She started thinking clearly again. The friends she and Korra had shared so many memories with over the years and the daughter they had adopted and raised together were still there for them. No, she wasn't angry at her friends or at the plan they had come up with. Nor was she upset that soon someone new would be called Avatar. So what if that role could be passed on? The Avatar may not be unique, but Korra most certainly had been. Uniquely _hers_. Asami's heart filled up with gratitude again. The thought comforted her as the magnificent silhouette of Omashu formed on the horizon.

-/-/-

GETTING inside the city hadn't been difficult, especially after the guards at the gates heard the last names Sato and Beifong. The unforeseen consequence of that was that the governor was informed of their arrival and requested their presence, in an attempt to both demonstrate Earth Kingdom hospitality and get a picture of himself shaking hands with a member of the most distinguished family in the nation. Dragging her husband with her, a sighing Opal left for the palace and promised to entertain the politician so the rest of the group could go on with the search undisturbed. Kai also stayed behind, tasking himself with finding a stable where the bison could rest and be fed.

In their eagerness to help, Mako and Alima unleashed a barrage of unsolicited advice for Jinora on the best spot to sense the spiritual energy signature that only the Avatar could emit. Someplace high, someplace crowded, someplace central, they said, having no idea how those things worked. The airbending master gently turned them down, saying that she just needed a quiet place to concentrate. Alima promptly found the best spa in the city and paid an unreasonable amount of money to rent an entire section of it, complete with a secluded outdoor garden and pond. The sounds of the metropolis outside couldn't reach them, replaced by birds chirping and water running. Jinora sat on the grass and began meditating. Unable to provide any further help, the rest of the group sat on a nearby bench at a certain distance and observed. Asami was a lot calmer now, Mako and Alima were the ones fidgeting.

If they failed again, Zaofu would be their next stop, then Gaoling, and so on, moving down the list of the most populous cities in the Kingdom until they found the next Avatar. But if that didn't work, they would have a huge problem on their hands. There was no way their small group could search all the towns and villages in the country. Many of them weren't large enough to feature on most maps. Some of them were so small they didn't even have names. What would they do if it came to that? Ask for help? That wasn't an option. In fact, that had been one of Korra's requests.

The White Lotus and the Earth Kingdom authorities had put together a joint task force, with hundreds of members, that was also scouring the continent for the Avatar. The best sages and gurus the nation had to offer were acting as its advisors, and Asami heard they were even accepting applications from bending masters of all four nations that wished to become the new Avatar's instructors. In fact, it was thanks to this that they were able to conduct their own search with the discretion Korra wanted. It was a shame they would waste so much time and money looking just to come up empty-handed, but that was for the best. Korra didn't want the White Lotus to find her successor, because look what happened last time. There were literal terrorists infiltrated right under their noses who nearly took her life. The disproportionate reaction that followed meant that she spent her formative years basically behind bars, so much so that when she first went to Republic City, she was almost as naive as when she was a precocious little girl that figured out by herself that water, rocks, and flames all submitted to her will. The next Avatar wouldn't have to go through that. They would have a normal childhood and wouldn't be informed of their status until their sixteenth birthday. The task force may very well spend years on a wild goose chase, completely unaware that using Avatar Kyoshi's old belongings would never trigger anyone's memories because a new cycle had begun. That didn't matter. Korra wanted her successor to be found by _family_.

After a surprisingly small amount of time passed, Jinora stood up with a calmness that Asami didn't think seemed promising. She expected her to say that the place was so devoid of spiritual energy that the Avatar was probably on the other side of the continent. But maybe Airbenders just had a different way of conveying excitement, because what she said was, "This is definitely the place."

"What? Where?" Alima exclaimed, jumping to her feet and almost sprinting to Jinora's side.

"How do you know?" Mako asked, also standing up and heading toward them, albeit at a slower speed than Alima.

"I had been feeling stronger energy since we were on the bison, but I didn't say anything because I wanted to be sure. Now I am. The Avatar is here."

_Bingo_. Asami had previously brought her expectations down a little bit, thinking that it would be way too convenient for Korra's successor to be in a large city and that they'd never be that lucky. But apparently Mako's numeric method was indeed faster.

"Can you take us to where they are?" Alima asked.

"Let's find out," Jinora answered, her serenity unshaken. Asami theorized that she had to maintain that calm demeanour in order to not perturb the spiritual vibrations or whatever it was that she could feel and they couldn't. As long as it helped. She told Mako and Alima to give her some room. All they needed to do now was follow her, and they would find the _Avatar_. The thought gave Asami goose bumps, and she was relieved to notice that they were the good kind. Jinora walked out onto the street and the other three followed her, exchanging thrilled looks.

"How are you feeling?" Mako asked, touching Asami's shoulder. "This is it."

She smiled and nodded, accepting his hug and reciprocating it. Alima was a few steps ahead of them, right next to Jinora, resisting the urge to tell her to walk faster. The airbending master, absolutely indifferent to Alima's impatience, made her way through the streets untroubled, following an invisible path that only she could sense. Asami remembered the promise they had made to Korra, how they said they would find her successor and do right by them. They had never been so close to fulfilling it as they were now. The adrenaline rushing through Asami's veins started to give birth to an emotion she didn't recognize at first.

Jinora took a sharp turn to the right, leading the group to a humble and relatively quiet street, shadowed by larger structures both above and below it on the mountain side. Between two small buildings, there was an alley no one would have seen if Jinora hadn't pointed it out. At the end of it, there was a passage, an opening into the heart of the mountain. The entrance, not more than two metres high and just barely wide enough to fit two people side by side, seemed unmemorable, but as the group got closer, following Jinora's lead, they heard voices coming from inside. Without any hesitation, the Airbender went in. That passage might as well have been a portal.

Inside, crude facades emerged from the bare rock, which had been earthbent into windows and doors that led to makeshift houses. There were people living in there. Omashu's unusual architecture meant that there was limited space on the sloping mountainside. In order to circumvent this problem, the government had ordered some planned incursions into the interior of the mountain, with the opening of tunnels and passageways where more stores and even a few houses could be built. They connected to strategic streets and avenues in order to allow some measure of sunlight to come in at certain times of the day. This was not one of those places. This was the result of people that were just desperate to not be completely unsheltered.

As they progressed deeper and deeper into the artificial cave, the limited circulation made the air stale, thick and almost unbearably hot. The only signs that those people hadn't been completely ignored by the official authorities were a few ventilation fans precariously installed on the ceiling. They worked at full capacity, doing their best to save the people beneath them from asphyxiation. Mako pointed out that the tunnel was slightly tilted upward, probably to keep floods from being another one of those people's many challenges. Glowing crystals placed on evenly-spaced poles tried to provide light, but they were insufficient. Ba Sing Se had the Lower Ring and Republic City had its suburbs, but Omashu hid its poor people by literally stuffing them into the earth.

The narrowness of the tunnel meant that the constructions on both sides almost touched each other, its inhabitants having little to no privacy. The light from the sun was now a distant memory, a bright spot behind them that hinted at the existence of an outside world. The kids that played on the alley didn't care that they could barely see the ball or each other. They shot curious and half-scared glances at the group, making room and whispering to one another that this one was an Airbender and that one kind of looks like he might be a Firebender.

"How many people live down here?" Mako asked.

"A couple hundred, at least. Maybe even a thousand or so," Alima answered. "And I know this is not the only entrance like this in the city."

"This is where the new Avatar lives?" he wondered out loud.

Behind them, the kids resumed their play while Jinora led the group further and further inside the cave. Asami thought that this place had to have been dug in a hurry, because a few metres ahead of them the tunnel just ended, abruptly marking the end of human penetration into the eons-old mountain. The constructors had either given up on the project halfway through or simply forgotten that fresh air needed to flow from the outside. Desperation does that. Suddenly, Jinora stopped.

"What's the matter?" Alima asked her.

"The energy is weaker here. But it was strong a few seconds ago, I think we must have passed the spot."

They turned around but before they could take one step in the opposite direction, a ball hit Mako in the stomach with full force. The old man bent over coughing while Asami helped him. "Watch it!" Alima shouted to the kids, who had already begun scampering, each one running to their respective house, literally disappearing inside the houses carved into pure stone. Except one.

Having been abandoned by all his friends, a single boy was left standing there on the dark street, his face contorted like he knew he had gotten in trouble. But he didn't run to his house. Instead, he came closer. His sleeveless shirt and his shorts had once been green, but were now completely worn. Walking barefoot, he approached the adults, bowed out of respect and fear and said, almost inaudibly, "I'm sorry."

"You need to be more careful," Alima said to him as Mako regained his composure and assured Asami that he was fine.

"Are you okay, sir?" the little boy asked. "I didn't mean for the ball to hit you, it was an accident."

"_What?_" shouted a female voice behind them. The group turned around and saw a woman at the only window of the very last house in the tunnel, the one contiguous with the untouched rock that still hadn't been dug through. She went back inside and soon after emerged from the front door, marching in their direction.

Asami saw that the boy was now even more embarrassed, trying to shrink himself, and deduced that the woman was his mother, although she looked like she was just barely into her twenties. She reached them and said to Mako, "Sir, I'm sorry about my son. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, ma'am, don't worry," he replied, now able to stand straight again, but with his voice still hoarse. "No need for concern."

"Navid! Did you say 'I'm sorry' to the man?" she asked the kid.

"He did. Right away," Mako said, answering for the boy and accepting his mother's many apologies, although Alima didn't miss the opportunity to tell her that her uncle could have been seriously hurt. Asami, however, noticed that Jinora wasn't participating in the conversation.

Paralyzed, she stared at the boy and tried to disguise her grin. When her eyes met Asami's, she smiled and nodded discreetly, pointing to him with her eyes and Asami just _knew_. She wanted to see him more closely, but he was looking at the ground in shame, as he was made to apologize once again for the incident. She kneeled.

"Hey, little guy," she said in the friendliest way she could. "It's okay. We know you didn't do it on purpose." He didn't reply, trying to hide behind his mother's legs instead. "Don't worry, you're not in trouble. My name is Asami."

"Navid, the lady is talking to you," his mother said. "Don't be rude, answer her."

"Nice to meet you, ma'am," he said, just loud enough to be heard.

"You too, Navid," she continued. "How old are you?"

"Six."

He was tall for his age. Asami looked up at her friends. By now, Jinora had already signalled to Mako and Alima that it was him and they also stared at the scene, jaws dropped. Asami reached inside her bag and pulled out Korra's favourite armband. She showed it to him and looked for signs of recognition on his face.

"Do you know what this is, Navid?" she asked him. The boy looked up at his mother like it was a trick question.

"Ma'am, I know what you're doing, we've already done this," his mother suddenly said.

"Excuse me?" Asami asked, not sure what she meant.

"Some people went to his school the other day and did the test with him. He's not the Avatar," she explained. "I know he's the right age, but, it's not him."

Oh, right. The White Lotus had been here already. _Good_, Asami thought. In a way, it was a blessing that his mother had been convinced it wasn't him. That would keep them both safe until he reached the right age.

Asami did her best to play it cool and said she understood. She was about to put the armband back in her bag when the boy touched her arm and said, "Can I have it? Please?"

He was now looking directly at Asami's eyes and she got a good look at him for the first time. His thin face now had a pleading expression, but she tried to imagine him smiling and thought that he must be a very cute little boy. The insufficient light didn't allow her to discern many of his features, but his green eyes were clearly visible, almost bright enough to cast light upon his brown skin and hair.

"Navid, don't ask the lady for her things!" his mother exclaimed.

"No, it's… it's okay," Asami said. "Do you want it?" He nodded. "You can have it. It's yours."

And then Asami got to see it. He smiled. While he took the armband from her hand and enthusiastically said "thank you", his face illuminated in an adorable smile that confirmed Asami's theory that he was indeed an adorable kid. One that she hoped would also be a good Avatar someday. She got one last look at him and felt peace. The kind she hadn't felt in six years.

Mako took over the exchange of pleasantries for her, apologizing to the boy's mother for taking her time and wishing her a good day. As the two headed back to their house at the end of a dark tunnel, Asami watched them and felt her eyes welling up. The boy, still young enough to be completely unbothered by this precarious place, would get the privilege of a normal childhood, something the two previous Avatars hadn't enjoyed. Just like Asami had promised Korra. She had found her successor, and he was safe, and he would be left alone for another ten years.

As the group headed out back into the sunlight, Alima briefly questioned the wisdom of letting him grow up in this godforsaken slum while they went back to their comfortable homes in Republic City, but she was outvoted. He wouldn't be the first Avatar to come from humble origins. Besides, there were ways of keeping a distant eye on him without interfering directly, just to be safe. And who knows? Maybe that would eventually turn out to be for the best.

The rest of the group was delighted to hear about the news. Kai proposed a celebratory dinner, while Bolin and Opal rushed to the phone to tell their grandson the location of his future pupil. Watching her friends overflow with joy, Asami was finally able to identify the emotion she had been feeling. Closure. Now that she had done what Korra needed her to, her heart was ready to feel peace again. She realized that this emotion right here was what people called moving on.


	2. Trial by Fire

BOOK ONE

**REVOLUTION**

CHAPTER ONE

**TRIAL BY FIRE**

OUTNUMBERED, alone, and surrounded, Navid took a deep breath, preparing for the fight.

Trapped at the centre of the circular arena, he could see the deserted stands behind his adversaries. Above them, the dome-shaped roof protected them from the rain that was pouring outside. He had assumed the safest, most stable stance he knew, determined not to make the first move. The three opponents that encircled him were skilled, powerful, and more experienced than him. He surveyed them, looking for something he could use, maybe an incorrect posture or an opening in their guard. Nothing. Having no discernible weaknesses to exploit, he decided that the best strategy was a combination of defence and patience. If he just diverted their blows and waited for an eventual mistake from them, he would get out of this. He hoped his nervousness wasn't showing, afraid that it could be used against him somehow. No one moved for what must have been only a few seconds, but felt like an eternity. He wondered if it was normal to feel this anxious, given his... status. He hoped that didn't mean he was doing something wrong.

His thoughts were interrupted by the man in front of him suddenly moving. With a flick of his wrist, he pulled up a circular stone from the ground the size of a clenched fist and threw it toward Navid's chest with the other hand. Reacting in time, the teenager punched the air with his right hand and successfully stopped the projectile, which exploded into pebbles and dust midflight. But it had served its purpose. His opponents clearly had this fight planned out because, while he did that, the other two benders lowered themselves to the ground and, each using one foot as a pivot, stretched out their other leg and spun in opposing directions. The earth beneath Navid's feet slid sideways, forcing his legs open and making him fall in a full split. So much for his defensive stance. He saw stone walls rising toward him as the first bender who attacked now hoped to trap his limbs. After only a few seconds of fight, his opponents already had the upper hand and his strategy had been thrown out the window. He would have to improvise.

With flat, stretched out palms, he aimed at the base of the rising sheets both in front of and behind him, separating them from the ground and turning them into floating rock slabs. Then he swung his arms around himself, hurling the rocks at the two benders on either side that had knocked him off his feet and occupying them for a couple seconds. The first fighter, who hadn't given up on him yet, earthbent the ground under Navid and began to tilt it like a trapdoor, making him fall backwards. He didn't try to stop it. Instead, he pushed his fists against it and, now with help from gravity, got back on his feet. What used to be the ground he was sitting on had become a wall that was being pushed against him. Navid cracked the stone, forcing a rectangular shield that protected his whole body to remain still while the rest of the wall went past him and crumbled. His opponent, still pushing the rock, couldn't react quickly enough when Navid bent a chunk of the smaller wall at him and was knocked out.

He didn't have time to celebrate. He felt a metal strip wrapping around his ankle. Before he could react, it was yanking his leg and pulling him up. Now floating upside down, held at least one metre off the ground by one leg, he saw the two benders that had previously made him fall getting ready to encase him with more metal. Apparently the best way to defeat him was to trap him in a cocoon. But two could play at that game. The two benders shot more strips at him simultaneously, but he managed to redirect them, conserving their momentum so they would travel toward the ally of whoever had thrown them. Focusing on one of the two, Navid guided the metal so it would tie his wrists to each other and force his calves together, causing a fall. Another one down. His last opponent, however, the one that held him up, dodged his attacks. She meant to free her partner, but before she could, Navid swiped at the metal ring that held him and forced it open. He fell, but had the presence of mind and the muscle strength to turn midair and land on his feet, instantly bringing up a stone from the ground and hurling it at her, who destroyed it easily. But the stone wasn't the point. He used the split second she needed to handle it to sink her into the ground all the way to her waist, then bringing back the strips and encasing her arms in a metallic straitjacket.

Navid needed a second to process the fact that it was over, and he had won. But for some reason, he didn't feel victorious, he thought he had barely escaped. Was that normal? Did every fight end like that, with that sensation that you had lucked out? Before he could dwell on those thoughts for too long, he heard a whistle piercing the air. The metal strips that held two of his opponents were bent open by someone else, setting them free. Only one of them, the lady, came to shake his hand and congratulate him, while the other one headed to their partner to help him up. As they started to leave, Navid looked in the direction of the sound and walked toward the only two spectators in the entire place.

His mother Prila received him with open arms and pulled him in for a big hug. Navid was afraid of getting her dirty; he was covered in dust and sweat, but his mother had been to the hair salon and was wearing her favourite yellow dress. He had told her not to bother, since there wouldn't be an audience, but she insisted, saying the occasion was worth dressing up for. Not sharing his concerns, she hugged him generously, standing on her toes to kiss his cheeks and holding him so tightly that his lungs resented the reduced air flow.

"Congratulations, baby, you were amazing!" she exclaimed. "They didn't even see what hit them!"

"Thanks, Mom, but I think they can still hear us," he answered, to her absolute indifference.

When she finally let him go, he turned to see the only other person there, Lengyun. His master stood next to them in silence. If Prila had probably overdressed, he looked like he had just gotten out of bed. The green shirt he wore, clearly not his newest one, was a size too small, the fabric stretched by his chest and shoulders. The short sleeves made visible the trophy tattoo on his inner right wrist. Ochre shorts and brown sandals completed the outfit of a man who obviously didn't care about looking like the earth and metalbending master he really was. Navid admired that. He wasn't good at _not_ worrying about the way others saw him.

"What did you think of your own performance?" he asked.

"Well, my strategy was a disaster, I'm sorry about that. I'll do better next time," Navid answered, ashamed of how poorly he had done.

"Jeez," he replied with lightheartedness. "Lighten up, kid."

Navid heard that from Lengyun a lot, his master often struggled to get him to relax. The two of them had spent a lot of time together over the previous thirteen months, ever since they'd met on his sixteenth birthday. Navid was still recovering from the impact of the A-bomb when they started training. In Omashu, every kid with bending learned the basics at school, but to go further, you needed to go to the specialized schools that cost half of his mother's annual wage per month. If it hadn't been for Lengyun, Navid would still be an amateur at best.

But they didn't immediately get along. Lengyun's poise didn't match Navid's aggressive self-criticism. It took some time for his casual approach to start working. If your master doesn't act like it's the end of the world when you don't get a move right, neither do you. "Don't be so tough on yourself," Lengyun often said. "Save it for the rocks."

"What do you say, Mr. Beifong?" Prila asked. "Did he pass?"

Lengyun had insisted that it wasn't a test, but it was. Depending on how well he did, he either would or wouldn't be considered a master. Given the disaster that had just ensued, Navid knew what his answer would be.

"Mom, they knocked me down after two seconds. Of course I didn't pass," he said.

"How convenient of you to leave out the part where you adapted to the situation and eventually won the fight," Lengyun said.

"Well, I wouldn't have needed to adapt if I hadn't messed up in the first place, right?"

"Navid, shit happens," Lengyun replied. "What sets masters apart is that they know their elements well enough to see solutions that other benders don't. They don't just memorize moves, they use the elements as if they were parts of themselves. It's not an exact science." By then he had completely dropped the tough teacher act. It didn't fit him anyway. His use of the word "elements" in the plural didn't go unnoticed. "And lately, not just today, you've been giving plenty of proof that you're able to do just that."

_No way_. After he fell, Navid had mentally given up on doing the master thing today. The improvised victory he subsequently came up with was an attempt to avoid embarrassing himself, not to convince anyone of his mastery. But Lengyun sounded satisfied. As easygoing as he was, he never held back on correcting Navid when he did something wrong, or on demanding that he put in his best effort.

"I don't get it, _Sifu_," Navid said. "What do you mean?"

"I'm so glad you won't be calling me that anymore," Lengyun answered. "Makes me feel old."

"Why?" Navid asked.

"Because I'm only thirty."

"No, why won't I call you my _sifu_ anymore?" Navid said, thinking that wasn't the time to be funny.

"I think I know why," Prila said, her voice full of excitement.

His mouth now curved into a proud smile, Lengyun finally said it. "Congratulations, Avatar Navid. You're a master Earthbender."

Navid's head started spinning. He still wasn't used to hearing that word. He could tell his bending was getting better, but he definitely didn't consider himself a master.

"Lengyun, are you sure?" he asked, using his teacher's first name for emphasis, something he never did. Not because Lengyun resented it - he probably preferred it - but because Navid didn't feel comfortable calling him that.

"Of course he's sure, baby," Prila said.

"But I don't… I'm not… There's gotta be more forms I haven't learned yet, right?" he protested.

"Navid, _no one_ knows all the existing bending forms, there must be tens of thousands of them. Mastery is not determined by how good your memory is. Like I said, it's how well you connect with your element, how creatively you use it," Lengyun replied. "Trust me, your control over the earth is amazing. Besides, you've been working for this for over a year now. Give yourself some credit, man."

Had it really been that long? It had felt like a month. "So… what comes next?" Navid asked.

Lengyun and Prila exchanged a glance. He knew exactly what came next, he just didn't like it. It was time to leave. Leave his house, his city, his country. Avatars were citizens of the world, after all. He was scared, that much was clear. Prila held her son's face to make him look at her. He thought she'd be upset that he was leaving, but if she was, she didn't show it. Her eyes conveyed nothing but pride.

"It feels like yesterday that we discovered you weren't just the most important person in _my_ world, doesn't it? I know that you have no idea where this… role will take you, or what it will ask from you, and I know that's a little scary. But I want you to know I'm hugely proud of you, okay? Promise me something. Promise me you'll take care of yourself, too. Not just the world. As long as you do that, I'll be okay."

Her words made him understand something. A few days earlier, when he asked her to come with him when he left Omashu because he didn't want her to be alone. She had refused, saying that she wasn't the person whose well-being should be his priority. He assumed she meant the people of the world, but she didn't. She meant him. He nodded, offering her the promise she wanted, and they hugged. For the longest time, it had been just the two of them, the confines of their two-member family sheltering them from the outside. But the world demanded its Avatar. And they couldn't keep it waiting any longer.

-/-/-

THE next day went by quickly. Navid and his mother spent the whole day going through old memories. As they emptied drawers, packing his clothes into the suitcase Lengyun had lent them, they stumbled across several emotional relics, like old report cards filled with nines and tens, the early signs of Navid's perfectionism. Apparently, Prila had kept every drawing he had ever made, too. Poorly-defined shapes that were supposed to represent the two of them featured often, but the colour palette was limited to two or sometimes three hues, as crayons were expensive. He had signed all of them, the characters 耐维德 carefully painted in the bottom right corners.

And of course, the blue armband he had received as a gift so many years ago. As a kid, he kept it under his pillow, as if wanting to make sure it wouldn't be taken away. Nothing could convince him to wear it to play; he'd always tell his mother he didn't want to risk ripping it. Not that it fit him - the previous owner clearly had a much thicker bicep than he did, and not even his huge growth spurts changed that. His limbs kept getting longer, but they remained just as scrawny as ever. He was taller than almost everyone, but the leather strap was still way too loose for him. But he didn't mind not wearing it. He just liked to have it. It wasn't until the previous year that he figured out why. Prila didn't even debate what to do with it, she just put it in the bag.

They finished before the afternoon was over. Lengyun would soon stop by to go with Navid to the train station. A big goodbye was imminent. She baked one last batch of her wonderful almond cookies before that. He would miss these.

"Ask to use a phone as soon as you get there and call me," she said.

"I will."

"And don't forget to write!"

"I won't."

"And be sure to kick ass," she finished, eliciting a small laugh out of him. He was relieved that she wasn't melancholic. She had probably long before come to terms with the fact that he would eventually leave. He thought he should have done the same.

They heard Lengyun knocking on the door. He had three large bags with him, and Navid remembered that for him, today was a homecoming, as his master was returning to his hometown after having temporarily moved to Omashu to teach him. Prila offered some cookies, but he very kindly declined, as they didn't exactly have a lot of time. There was a train waiting for them.

Since his mother wasn't crying, Navid thought he shouldn't, either. Their hug was silent, but heartfelt. She looked up at him one last time and he thought she was going to say "I love you". But she knew him well enough to know that's not what he needed from her then. So she gave him what he did need. She said - no, she whispered - "Go." With a single brief nod, she confirmed that he had her blessing, and he felt confident for the first time that day. Turning to Lengyun, she quickly thanked him for everything and asked him to watch him for her, which he promised to do. Grabbing his bag, Navid stepped out of his house for the last time.

-/-/-

THE train station was absolutely packed.

Someone had thought it a good idea to schedule the departures for all the other major cities in the continent at similar times. Compositions bound for Ba Sing Se, Gaoling, and Zaofu closed their doors within minutes of each other, prompting hurried passengers to scurry across the platforms, sometimes bumping into each other and issuing quick apologies before resuming their race. The international departures area was equally chaotic. Formal immigration procedures had to be conducted with every passenger travelling into the United Republic of Nations, which meant long lines and a fair bit of waiting. However, the flying boar on Lengyun's passport granted them first-class seats, which to Navid was by far the most surreal thing on that day full of firsts.

After more than twelve hours on the train, though, the massive seats didn't seem excessive anymore, as Navid woke up feeling surprisingly rested. He didn't think he'd be able to sleep, but the stress had worn him down. It was pitch black outside the windows, and his brain, still powering up, didn't understand why. He turned to Lengyun, who explained they were going through a tunnel. The railways leading into Republic City had many of them. Not even a mountain chain could separate two nations filled with Earthbenders.

"What will we do when we get there?" Navid asked.

"Alima's waiting for us," Lengyun replied. "We'll go to her house."

Navid remembered Alima Sato. She and Lengyun had been the ones to visit him the year before, bearing the news that changed his life forever. But while Lengyun stayed and became his teacher, he hadn't seen her again since, his first impression of her was still the only one he had. And from what he could recall, talking to her was like hearing a thesaurus speak, her speech formal and polite to the point of being uncomfortable. Lengyun, however, had once said that she and Navid did have something in common: according to him, neither of them knew how to unwind. Whatever that meant.

Light suddenly invaded the train. As they resurfaced on the other side of the mountain range, the land around the tracks now featured houses, streets, cars. The contrasting colours of the constructions proudly exhibited the diverse ethnic backgrounds of the inhabitants. His mother had once told him that when she left her hometown in the northwestern Earth Kingdom, she considered moving to the United Republic instead, but since she didn't have money for a passport, she chose Omashu instead. Navid wondered how different his life would have been if she had come here instead. In the distance, he saw a larger structure, most likely a public building like a hospital or maybe a school, flying the flag of the United Republic surrounded by smaller flags of the Original Four Nations. The vivid red of the Fire Nation flag caught Navid's eye. He would soon be learning how to firebend, and the mere thought of that seemed insane.

Navid knew little about the Fire Nation. During History classes at school, it was usually mentioned with the words "war" and "genocide" accompanying it. Not a very flattering description. His teachers mostly focused on the heroic resistance of the Earth Kingdom, which had spent a century refusing to surrender, bravely opposing the foreign imperialistic aggression. In fact, a whole semester had been dedicated to studying the brief occupation of his hometown, and he specifically remembered answering questions about the ingenious evacuation of the city's civilians and its heroic liberation by King Bumi. Navid was the only one in his class who aced that test. His colleagues were stunned to find out that pentapox wasn't actually a real historical illness.

And now he was going to become a Firebender, too. He had never seen anyone firebending, and couldn't imagine what it looked like. Trying to visualize himself shooting fire resulted in a blank image on his brain. He didn't have a clue what the country itself was like. How did their food taste? Did they have an accent? Did their cities also carefully and meticulously separate the populace by social class?

"Who's gonna take me to the Fire Nation? You?" he asked.

Lengyun gestured for him to keep his voice down. Looking around to make sure no one could hear them, they continued their conversation, now with whispers.

"Actually, you're gonna learn firebending here in Republic City," Lengyun replied.

"Why? I thought you guys said I had to travel to the four nations."

"Yes, we did, but… Going to the Fire Nation is not possible right now," he stopped, looking for words. "Look, it's really hard to explain why. We can talk more when we get to Alima's, okay?"

"All right," Navid answered. His brain gathered some pieces of information he had heard over the years. His mom liked to listen to the radio every night, and he had vague memories of the words "coup" and "embargo" on the international news segment. Then another thought popped up. "Who's gonna teach me?"

"Not _me_," Lengyun said, revealing that he didn't know. "But the last time I talked to Alima on the phone, she said she'd have someone by the time we got there."

Navid wasn't satisfied, but when he turned to the window again, the view made him speechless. The skyline of downtown Republic City was clearly visible in the horizon. The impressive skyscrapers sprouted up from the ground and ascended toward the clouds, towering over everything else around them and spreading their elongated shadows over the people below, making the sunset even more spectacular. They looked taller than Omashu's mountain. There must have been hundreds of them, stretching over the valley as the snow-capped peaks surrounded the urban jewel in the centre. Navid thought it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. With his jaw dropped, he was glued to the window until the train rolled into the station and its walls blocked his view. To his right, Lengyun was already up, getting his bags from the overhead compartment. "Home, sweet home," he said.

-/-/-

THE Sato Estate resembled a fortress.

It wasn't just the tall walls that surrounded it and its relative isolation from the rest of the city that gave Navid that impression. The place had quite a large staff, too. Three men were responsible for the gate, inspecting whatever visitors approached it before granting or refusing them entry. A team of gardeners made sure that every tree and bush inside the property had a well-defined geometrical shape, making the whole estate look immaculate. Lengyun knew all the employees by name, except for one doorman who was new, and they all replied with a smile and a wave. Navid was happy at least one of them felt comfortable in that place. Their taxi driver had dropped them off at the front gate, and going from there to the entrance of the actual house took them five whole minutes. Alima Sato was waiting for them there.

She looked exactly like Navid remembered her. Standing with impeccable posture despite her high heels, she smiled politely as soon as she saw them. Her blouse matched the colour of her skirt and fingernails, a shade of light pink that gave her an elegant and professional look. Complete with makeup and jewels, her outfit made her look as young as Navid's mother, although she was a lot older. She seemed ready for a gala dinner. But this was her house. Did she dress like that every morning to stay home?

"I'm back, Alima! Did you miss me?" Lengyun said, his playful tone breaking the ice.

"Great to see you too, Lengyun," she replied, her voice somehow sounding welcoming but slightly aloof at the same time. "Welcome to my home, Navid," she said to him, stretching out her palm for a handshake.

"Thank you, Ms. Sato," he answered. It was hard figuring out how to behave around her. Navid wondered if her formality was the product of a personality trait or of his presence. After all, she was Avatar Korra's daughter, and his being there had to be an unpleasant reminder. He sometimes wondered if she resented him. But then again, she had never shown any kind of hostility either. Not only that, but now she was welcoming him into her home. He hoped it wouldn't always be this weird to be near her.

After exchanging a brief hug with Lengyun, she led them inside. Her manor was splendid. The exquisite furniture, the tiles on the walls, the fine carpets, everything looked expensive, elegant, and was immaculately clean. They took off their shoes and left them by the door, a formality Navid wasn't used to observing. She called in an employee, who entered from a side room.

"Zarya, would you please take him to the guest bedroom?"

"Of course. Follow me, please, sir," she replied, gesturing to him what the right way was.

She looked the same age as him, which made her calling him "sir" quite strange. She had probably been told to say that to all visitors. The uniform worn by her and the other employees was simple, but appropriately elegant, with its cream long-sleeved top, and light blue skirt that came just short of touching the floor. Her hair, tied up in a topknot that was kept in place by a pin, was the colour of coal. She made no noise as she walked, guiding Navid through the hallways. When they got to the right bedroom, she opened the door for him and allowed him to go in first. The room was unnecessarily big and had at least twice as many pieces of furniture as one person could need.

"Is there anything else I can do for you, sir?" she asked.

"There is, actually," Navid said. "Don't call me 'sir', I think we're the same age. My name is Navid."

"My apologies. Force of habit," she answered as a shy smile lit up her face a little bit. "Ms. Sato said that dinner will be served in half an hour or so, as soon as her other guest arrives."

Navid didn't even know there would be another guest. Could it be his firebending master? Lengyun had said Alima would choose a teacher for him. Maybe she already had. Zarya asked him one more time if he needed anything else. He said no, thanking her, and she left him, shutting the door behind her. The gigantic room was meant to be cozy, but for someone used to sleeping in a much smaller and more crammed space, it wasn't very inviting. He still tried the bed, though, and the mattress was the most comfortable he had ever been on. It was long enough that his feet didn't dangle off the edge, like they did on his bed back home. He thought that his mother would have loved the place. He really wished she was there. This mansion and all the luxury it contained felt like a stone weighing down on his chest. The strangest sensation he had ever felt took over his mind, like being on the verge of an epiphany that never quite comes, or trying to say something that's on the tip of your tongue but you can't remember for the life of you. He thought he was just tired from the trip and needed a shower. Yeah. That's probably all it was.

-/-/-

AFTER half an hour, someone knocked on his door. It was Zarya again.

"Dinner is about to be served," she said.

"Thank you," Navid answered.

The hot water and the new clothes he had changed into made him feel more comfortable, and now his stomach was acting up. Heading downstairs, he mentally prepared to meet his new _sifu_. Would it be a man or a woman? How old were they? What were they like? What if Navid didn't get along with them like he did with Lengyun? What if firebending was difficult? What if he couldn't do it? He tried to tell himself to stop thinking of worst-case scenarios. Of course he'd be able to firebend. Probably. Hopefully.

But his deduction hadn't been accurate. When he got to the dining room, he saw Alima and Lengyun at the table talking to a man whose face he couldn't see, as his chair was facing away from the hallway. He couldn't be his new teacher, though, as he looked like an elder. However, his voice sounded very familiar. Navid's mind was about to put a name to it when Lengyun saw him and waved.

"Come here, there's someone we want you to meet!" The man turned around and Navid immediately knew who he was. "This is my great-uncle Mako. Great-uncle, this is Avatar Navid."

"Well, hello there," he said, getting up from his chair to greet Navid. "It's very nice to meet you, young man."

"You too," Navid replied, his gut telling him that _meet_ wasn't exactly the right word.

"He was a friend of my mothers," Alima said, confirming what Navid already suspected. He seemed familiar because Avatar Korra knew him. The strange sensation from before returned, but stronger. "Hope you're hungry."

Navid took a seat next to Lengyun, who faced Mako, while Alima sat at the head of the table. She asked the staff to start bringing the courses, and when they opened the door to the kitchen, the room was suddenly invaded with wonderful smells coming from there. Soon they were all eating.

"Welcome to Republic City, Navid. It's great to have you here," Mako said. "Lengyun tells me you're an excellent Earthbender already."

"Oh, thank you. I don't know about excellent, but I try," he replied, laughing it off and hoping they would change topics. He hated being praised, he never knew how to react.

"Metalbender, too," Lengyun said, doing the exact opposite of what Navid wanted and praising him more. "Got the hang of it in no time."

"Amazing," Mako said. "Reminds me of Korra, she picked it up in a day," he added, spontaneously drawing a parallel that made Navid flinch. _A day?_ How was he supposed to match that? He knew he wasn't the first Avatar to metalbend or to master their native element, but he wasn't even the first Avatar to meet the people in that room.

"Grandpa told me that story. Said he spent his whole life trying and then she just did it like that," Lengyun said with a snap of his fingers.

The reminders that everyone there went back a long way made Navid feel like a stranger invading a family reunion. _Korra's_ family reunion. He really wished his mother had come. He didn't know what she could do, but he knew he'd feel better if she were there.

"So, I guess that means it's time to learn firebending?" Mako then asked, prompting Alima to shush him as she discreetly pointed to the employees that were within earshot. Thankfully, they didn't seem to have heard him. They would probably be reacting more vividly if they had. Alima requested to have the room and they silently left. "Sorry," Mako said.

"It's okay," Alima replied. "Navid, my staff doesn't know that you're the Avatar, okay? I don't want this info going public yet. I hope that's all right with you." He didn't have the words to describe how grateful he was for that. "Since you'll be practising firebending, don't tell anyone you're from Omashu. If you do, any one of them can put two and two together."

"Speaking of which," Lengyun said, "who will teach him? Last time we spoke, you said you'd pick a teacher."

Navid sat up on his chair, as he really wanted to know the answer to that question.

"Yes," Alima said. "We do have a solution for that problem."

"I thought I was supposed to go to the Fire Nation," Navid said. Immediately, Alima and Lengyun turned to Mako, who lowered his head and looked at his plate. Alima placed a hand on his shoulder and Navid could tell he had said something he shouldn't have, but had no idea what. He felt the urgent need to apologize. "Sorry. Something I said?"

"No. Nothing," Mako said, lifting his head back up and sporting an obviously fake smile. He whispered a quick "I'm fine" to Alima before clearing his throat. "Alima and I have talked and we've come up with the perfect teacher, since going to the Fire Nation is… unviable right now," he said, with a slight choke in his voice that made Navid regret his question once more.

"You see," Alima continued, "before my mother died, she asked us to make sure that her successor would get to learn the elements from trustworthy masters, and with as much discretion as possible, which is why we're not going to tell people about your identity yet. Lengyun was the first one, and," she said, turning to him now, "we'll never be able to thank you enough for this. Dropping everything to move to Omashu and dedicating one year of your life to helping him. Thank you so much, dear."

"Of course, Alima," Lengyun answered, holding her hand. "How could I not? We promised Aunt Korra."

"Your next teacher was going to be…" Alima started, before Mako interrupted her.

"My daughter Naoki," he said, looking at Navid. "But she lives in the Fire Nation."

And for some reason that was apparently complicated, no one could go there. He would not be asking again what that reason was so soon. "Good one," Navid thought. "You've just met one of Avatar Korra's friends and you managed to touch on the single most sensitive topic there was. Way to go."

"I see," Navid replied. "Sorry I brought that up."

"Don't be," Mako answered. "The point is, there are plenty of great Firebenders here in the United Republic, too."

"So, who did you choose?" Lengyun asked, cutting to the chase. "Who's gonna teach him?"

Alima and Mako exchanged a look.

"We wanted it to be someone whom we've all met before, and, of course, someone who we all knew to be a good bender," Alima started explaining. She seemed very prepared to justify her decision, like she was anticipating some resistance. "Uncle Mako and I talked, and there was really just one person who checked all those boxes."

Lengyun gasped when he realized who she meant. No one said anything for a while, and Navid thought the two of them were communicating through telepathy. Lengyun's expression was pure incredulity.

"No way," he said. "You're kidding."

"Think about it, Lengyun. He's perfect," Alima replied while Lengyun rubbed his face with both hands and exclaimed a loud, annoyed "oh, no!" Navid thought Alima looked completely unfazed as she offered all her reasons in spite of Lengyun's displeasure.

"Him? Of all the Firebenders in Republic City, it had to be _Takashi_?" he said.

"He has the necessary expertise, we've known him for years, and he accepted the invitation gladly," she shot back.

"You've already talked to him?" he asked, almost shouting.

"Keep your voice down, do you want to tell all my staff about Navid?" Alima answered with controlled anger.

"Great-uncle, you can't possibly agree with this," Lengyun said, expecting help from Mako.

"Well, I can't teach him, can I? Look at me!" the elder exclaimed. "Honestly, I'm surprised you're against the idea. I thought you would be the first to approve it."

"Look," Lengyun said, calming himself down and trying to come up with a cohesive argument since his annoyance wasn't enough to persuade Alima and Mako. "Navid's teacher should be someone who's gonna stick with him, all right? Not someone who might bail out at any time. And Takashi has already given us proof that he is the latter."

"I disagree. I think you're letting your personal feelings toward him get in the way of your judgment," Alima said, very bluntly. Lengyun was speechless.

"What she's trying to say," Mako intervened, "is that the… misunderstanding between you and him doesn't automatically mean he's not reliable."

"That's a cute way to put it," Lengyun mumbled under his breath.

"Navid, this might take a while," Alima said. "You can go if you want. Why don't you take a tour of the manor? Get used to the place?"

He silently thanked the spirits, as the mood was getting tense to the point of being unbearable. He was more than happy to excuse himself and let the three of them make decisions about the next stage of his life. They seemed to know what they were doing; he wasn't the first Avatar they had met. Plus, he now knew the name of his next _sifu_, Takashi.

As he wandered through the halls of Alima's enormous manor, he could hear Lengyun's voice in the distance. He was really pissed. Navid was curious to know why he didn't like this guy. Right now, though, he was mentally mapping the layout of the house he'd live in for the upcoming months. The place was beautiful. Every wall was adorned by a painting depicting a variety of scenarios from all over the Five Nations: a camel-zebra walking alone across the endless dunes of the Si Wong Desert, a herd of air bison flying toward the sunset, a Water Tribe family huddled around a bonfire as the full moon shone over the icy ground. They all looked even more spectacular under the light of the chandeliers that lit the house, suspended from the ceilings by what seemed to be golden chains. But none of that caught Navid's eye the way the family portrait did.

Approaching it, he saw a younger Alima sitting on an armchair while Asami Sato and Avatar Korra stood behind her. Navid didn't remember the one time he had met Asami Sato. According to Prila, they hadn't talked for very long, but from what she described, it sounded like she was a lot like Alima, if a little less stern. And next to her, was Avatar Korra. The different shades of blue on her dress matched her eyes perfectly, as her hair lay gently over her shoulders and a beautiful necklace hung from her neck. What really hypnotized Navid, though, was the armband on her right arm. The one Asami Sato gave him when he was little. The one he wouldn't let go of. The one that was in his suitcase.

A voice brought him back to reality.

"Navid?" It was Zarya. When he turned to her, she quickly apologized: "I'm sorry. You said I could call you that."

"You can. I'm the one who's sorry, I was… distracted."

"Do you need help finding your room? I can take you there."

"No, thanks, I'm not lost. I was just walking around, you know?"

Maybe it was the lighting, but Navid noticed she had the same eye colour as Mako. Her white skin was made even whiter by the makeup she had on, which further emphasized the bright yellow of her pupils. Knowing that the United Republic was a multicultural country (that was the whole point of its existence), Navid wondered if that meant she was descended from Fire Nation immigrants.

"I'm gonna check out the backyard and the pool," Navid then said.

"It's rather cold out tonight. Wouldn't you rather go to the indoor pool?"

"Wow, two pools? That's how you know someone's really rich, am I right?" was his sad attempt at humour. She had the courtesy of a polite fake laugh. "I won't be long. Thank you, Zarya," he finally said, to which she respectfully bowed and turned around, walking in the other direction with the calm hurry of someone who always had a lot to do. How fitting that in that fancy mansion, the one person that Navid felt free to be his goofy self with was a member of staff. Because of course.

When Navid opened the back door and headed out to the pool area, he was again impressed by its dimensions. Several metres of perfectly cut grass separated the back porch from the actual water. Making his way there, he dipped his toes in to test the temperature and, upon learning it wasn't as cold as he'd expected, sat down on the edge and allowed both his feet to fully submerge. It had been a long day. A new nation, a new master, a new element. So much was changing. People from the Earth Kingdom had a reputation for being hard-headed and inflexible, but Navid had always considered himself fairly open-minded. This, however, was happening too fast. Staring down at the water, and with a million thoughts going through his head, he was completely unprepared for the blast that surprised him from behind.

-/-/-

THE sudden pain made him scream as the vivid heat of flames scorched his back and pushed him forwards, making him fall into the pool. Although the water instantly relieved the pain, he had dived with his mouth open, and when he resurfaced for air, he saw two masked people surrounding the swimming pool as he coughed.

"Who are you?" he shouted.

"We're sorry to have to do this to you," said the attacker on the left, her voice austere and harsh. "But the Fire Nation needs the Avatar."

"Long live the Fire Nation," said the other masked figure, now wielding electrified kali sticks that she activated and prepared to introduce in the water.

Before she could electrocute him, Navid metalbent the sticks away from her hands and hurled them over the other end of the pool, landing them into the bushes that hugged the walls of the property. Navid heard flames being shot at him from the other side and dove back into the pool. This time, he swam to the bottom and planted his feet on the floor. He then earthbent a circular pillar beneath him, lifting himself above the surface. Out of the water, he could once again feel the pain from the burn on his back. The initial attack had been strong enough to completely destroy his shirt and sear his skin, which now hurt, begging to be submerged again.

Separated from the opponents on either side by a watery moat, he thought he was protected, and attempted to make them fall into the water in order to neutralize their firebending by moving the earth under their feet. His plan failed spectacularly when the woman on the left used the earth platform he created as a springboard and propelled herself with flames over the water and onto his little island. Before he could react, she had grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back, dislocating his shoulder and making him scream.

Standing behind him, she whispered in his ear, "We know it's not your fault, but this isn't about you. It will be over quickly. You _will_ save us," she said as she lit a fire blade from the tip of her fingers. Feeling the heat on his neck and nearly blinded by the pain on his back and shoulders, he was still trying to think about what to do when the pillar they were on crumbled completely and both him and his attacker fell back into the water. He hadn't done that.

Struggling to swim with just one arm, he eventually resurfaced and saw Lengyun engaging the other Firebender. Turning around, he saw the first one getting out of the pool where her bending was useless. Despite the pain, Navid tried to stop her by bending the tiles of the pool and throwing them at her, but she dodged them with superb reflexes.

"Abort! Let's get out of here!" she shouted to her partner.

Turning around, Navid saw that Lengyun had entrenched himself behind a rock wall. The second Firebender took a deep breath and covered her mouth with both hands. Releasing her breath and spreading her palms away from each other, she created two flame serpents that flew away from her body in opposing directions. Guiding them with the motions of her arms, she made them curve midflight so as to go around Lengyun's wall. They were headed straight to him.

"Lengyun, look out!" Navid shouted. At the very last minute, his master ducked and the flame missiles about to hit his face consumed each other above his head, their heat dissipating in the night air. When Navid turned toward the Firebenders, they were gone. Both of them. Just vanished.

Lengyun came to Navid and pulled him out of the water, and only then did his body finally allow him to black out. In brief flashes of wakefulness, he saw isolated images and heard disconnected words. "He needs a healer", "get the car", "where did they go?" and "hurry" were some of the things he could distinguish. But the sentence that stuck with him the most and that haunted him during his whole period of unconsciousness was the one that could have been the last he'd ever hear. "_You will save us_."

-/-/-

"I can't believe you contacted them without even telling me first!"

"There was an opportunity, so we took it!" Sora replied. "It's what we're here for, isn't it?"

"They could have gotten caught!" the girl answered.

"But we didn't! I don't see what the problem is. We nearly got him and we escaped unscathed," Reiki answered. "Next time, he'll be toast."

"There may not be a next time because now they will take him somewhere else!"

"But we had him. He wouldn't have escaped us if the other Earthbender hadn't shown up. He was on the other side of the mansion, we couldn't have known he would get there so fast," Aomi argued. "I still don't understand how he did."

"That doesn't matter, does it? You came _this_ close to blowing our cover," she fired back, fury seething beneath her tongue.

"But we already know who the Avatar is, why bother maintaining your cover?" Reiki asked.

"Because he's not our only target, remember? Have you forgotten about the Traitor?" she replied. Calming herself down and using a lower voice, she didactically reminded her allies: "Guys, remember that if we don't do this right, we won't… we won't be allowed to go back. We only have one shot."

"She's right," Sora admitted, exhaling and sporting his usual frown. "Sorry about tonight. We'll do better."

Acquiescing, Reiki and Aomi nodded, both girls agreeing to follow the group's decision.

"You're the spy," Reiki said. "Hope you know what you're doing, Zarya."

She did. Zarya knew exactly what she was doing.


	3. Allies and Rivals

BOOK ONE

**LIBERATION**

CHAPTER TWO

**ALLIES AND RIVALS**

COMING to is always a bumpy journey. Navid's transition between sleep and sentience was filled with confused memories, as blurred shapes danced in his vision and muffled sounds reached his ears. His recovering mind tried to identify them, but doing so with accuracy was impossible. He could tell they were voices and faces, but associating them with names was too much to ask, especially as his senses started functioning again and his awareness of the present became prevalent. The memories dissipated into the recesses of his brain, waiting for their next opportunity to contact him. The sensorial input from his physical surroundings claimed his attention, and he was now more mindful of where he was. He could feel he was on a bed, lying down on his stomach. His shoulder was a bit sore, but was back in place. He remembered the injuries he'd sustained, especially the burn on his back. But it didn't hurt. Instead of feeling the rough touch of fabric, there was a pleasant sensation there, a cold wave that felt soothing.

Opening his eyes required concentrated effort. When he did, he realized he was in a hospital room. With his senses now working again, he noticed he wasn't alone. Someone was behind him, standing right next to his bed, and they were doing something to him. Who was that? A low moan escaped from his throat and he moved his arm slightly, which was enough to startle the stranger, who didn't suspect he was awake. It was as if an invisible bucket had been poured, because Navid's whole upper body, as well as his bed sheets and the floor, were instantly soaked with water that seemed to have materialized out of thin air.

"For Yue's sake, you scared me! How long have you been awake?" said the boy that was there with him, his voice squeaking in surprise. Turning his neck to face him, Navid saw a young man, probably as young as himself. Was he a doctor? The tag he wore didn't have his picture, only a word. Healer. He was a Waterbender, working on Navid's burn.

"S-Sorry, I…" Navid replied. Speaking coherent sentences was still a bit hard.

"No, actually, I'm sorry," the healer interrupted. "You're just waking up, you must be pretty confused. I got scared and I drenched you. Let me fix that."

The elongated motions he did with his arms made the water come to life. Ignoring gravity, the liquid floated away from the surfaces that had absorbed it, hovering in midair until the healer gently conducted it into a nearby empty bucket. It lasted only a few seconds, but Navid had never seen anyone waterbending before, so the scene was a surreal experience to him, like a waking dream. The sheets, the floor and his own body were now completely dry, like nothing happened. Bending may not be the same as magic, but it certainly looked like it.

"There. That's better," the healer said. "Sorry about that. My name's Karnuk."

Regaining control of his limbs, Navid managed to sit up on the bed, turning toward the other boy. "Hi. I'm Navid," he said, shaking his hand. Now more fully aware, Navid noticed Karnuk's casual, teenage outfit. The light blue hoodie and the grey sweatpants looked nothing like a hospital uniform, and they probably weren't. His dark skin, even more so than Navid's, clearly revealed his polar background and accentuated the vivid blue colour of his eyes. "Sorry I scared you."

"Don't worry about it," he replied. "I probably shouldn't have freaked out the way I did," he added with a light chuckle that made him seem even younger.

"It's alright," Navid said. His curiosity made him ask: "Are you a… doctor?"

"What? Me? No," Karnuk answered with an unassuming smile. "Us, healers, we just help the doctors. They tell us which patients to attend to and we do it. I'm trying to become a waterbending master, and I need the extra credit, you know?", he explained. There was a certain enthusiasm in the way he talked, as though he had just described having the time of his life. "I'm a little too young to be a doctor," he finished with another brief laugh. "But I'm almost done with your back, should I finish and then I'll go tell everyone you're up?"

Right, his back. It wasn't burning, but it still felt different, Navid being strangely aware of the skin there. "Yeah, sure," Navid said, lying down again, this time turning his neck toward the healer so he could see him bending. A swift, fluid gesture from his hand was all it took for the water to move again, forming a transparent floating sphere. And then the glow came. A blue, celestial light began emanating from the bubble, which the healer then split in two, covering both his hands in illuminated gloves that he then touched Navid's back with. Although he wasn't feeling any more immediate pain, the touch of the water was still relieving, sending welcome cold shock waves throughout his body.

"These look like Firebender burns," Karnuk then said. "How did you get these?"

The question made Navid remember the attack. It had been so sudden, so unexpected, so jarring. Not only did two complete strangers know that he was the Avatar, that was also the reason they wanted to kill him. Navid knew that his role would entail heavy responsibilities, but the thought that people might want him dead because of it hadn't crossed his mind. What had he done to deserve that?

"It's okay if you don't wanna talk," Karnuk said, his question having been ignored.

"Sorry," Navid replied. "I kinda got caught up in a huge fight," he then said, not sure how much he could tell.

"That much I could figure," he joked. He made conversation like nothing unusual was happening. Healing seemed to come naturally to him, like an everyday occurrence that had nothing extraordinary about it. Navid begged to differ. "Are you from around here?"

"Not really. I'm new in town. I'm from Omashu."

"Cool! I've never been there, but I think my parents have. I'm not from Republic City either, I moved here like a year ago. I'm from the Northern Water Tribe."

Although Navid was perfectly aware that there were millennial civilizations living on the Earth's poles, it still seemed bizarre to him. He absolutely hated cold weather, he couldn't imagine why someone would call them home.

"Why did you move?" Navid asked, keeping the small talk going.

"Uh… because of my dad's work," Karnuk answered with a brief midsentence pause, like he was thinking. Navid worried he'd asked _another_ inappropriate question. "What about you?"

"Oh, I came here to learn f…" he panicked, realizing he was about to say 'firebending'. The water had gotten him so relaxed he almost told his healer he was the Avatar. "F… ph… philosophy," he lied. "I'm a philosophy major."

"Wow, alright…" Karnuk replied, apparently buying the lie. Navid hoped he wouldn't ask any additional questions, because he didn't know the first thing about philosophy. "Well, I'm done," he thankfully said. The blue glow ended and he once again poured the water into the bucket. "Let me go tell everyone that you're up. It was nice meeting you, Navid," he said, the two shaking hands one last time.

"Likewise," he answered as the healer smiled and left. The water in the bucket looked perfectly normal, like it hadn't been floating and glowing a minute ago. Getting up from the bed, Navid walked toward a small mirror on the other side of the room. Twisting his body, he tried to get a look at his back. The burn marks were there, although he suspected they would be looking much uglier if it wasn't for Karnuk. Fortunately, it didn't hurt. Navid saw one of his shirts on a chair and put it on. The one he was wearing on the day of the attack was probably ruined beyond repair. He sighed. He really liked that one.

The door opened, and the familiar faces of Lengyun, Alima, and Mako walked in. His master immediately hugged him.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "How's your back?"

"I'm fine, I think," Navid answered. "My back doesn't hurt anymore."

"Are you sure you should be up?" Alima asked. "Don't you wanna lie down?"

"No, thanks. I'm okay, really. Did any of you get hurt?"

"We're fine," Mako replied. "It's you we're worried about."

"I woke up a few minutes ago, when the healer was working on my burn. It doesn't hurt anymore," he explained. After a brief pause, he asked the question that was really bothering him: "What happened? Who were those people?"

"Did you hear them say anything?" Alima asked.

"Well, they all knew I'm the Avatar," he said. "And they said they wanted me to save the Fire Nation. Right before trying to kill me. What did they mean by that? That doesn't make any sense."

"You don't have to worry about them anymore, okay? We'll handle that," Alima said, frustrating him. How was he supposed to not worry?

"Alima, that's a little too much to ask, isn't it?" Mako said, as if reading Navid's mind. "We can't expect him to just ignore what happened." Turning to him, the elder continued: "You see, it's a long story, but it has to do with..."

"Uncle, stop!" Alima exclaimed, sounding rude for the first time ever since Navid had met her. He thought she wasn't used to being disobeyed. "Navid's focus is on learning the elements right now. We shouldn't preoccupy him with any other topics."

An uncomfortable silence filled the room. Mako looked at Navid with an expression he couldn't decipher, stroking his chin. Alima's face was reddened and her breathing audible. Obviously, she felt very strongly about this, and he didn't know her well enough to guess why. Lengyun intervened:

"Look, there's going to be plenty of time to talk about this later. The doctor said we could leave after the healer was done, so why don't we just go home and rest? Fortunately, nothing serious happened."

"About that," Alima said. "I don't think he should go back to the manor. Clearly someone dangerous knows he's there." Her habit of talking about Navid in the third person while he was in the room was getting bothersome. "Lengyun, would you take him to your apartment? Is it alright if he stays with you?"

Finally, some good news, Navid thought. He would _love_ to stay with Lengyun. Being in Avatar Korra's old house was weird, like a perpetual déjà vu he couldn't shake off. When his master nodded in agreement, he celebrated internally. Alima then asked Lengyun to take Navid to his apartment directly, without stopping by the manor, explaining she would get her driver to bring his bags over. No one disagreed. Someone came in with some papers to sign and Alima took care of it.

"She's got a point," Mako then said, while she was busy. "Now's not a good time. Go home, and take the rest of the day off. You've got class tomorrow. Firebending class."

Navid briefly thought about the irony of learning the element that had just been used to hurt him. There's that global perspective Avatars are supposed to have. With the paperwork taken care of, Alima and Mako said goodbye to Navid, the latter with a hug and the former with no physical contact. Lengyun took Navid to his car and the two headed to his apartment.

-/-/-

SLEEPING ended up being rather difficult. His back didn't appreciate being touched by any kind of fabric, forcing Navid to spend the night lying on his stomach with his head turned to the side so he wouldn't suffocate on the pillow. His neck woke up sore. These were not ideal conditions for his first bending class of a foreign element. His back was oversensitive, his shoulder was still weird and now his neck wanted to stay still. Fantastic.

When Lengyun knocked on the door, Navid was already up. He opened it and his former teacher asked how he was.

"Not gonna lie, I've felt better," he replied. "But I'm up for it."

"I've made you breakfast," Lengyun said.

Navid followed him into the kitchen. His apartment was bigger than Navid's home back in Omashu, but it was thankfully much, much smaller than Alima's mansion. The manor felt oppressive, the power of Avatar Korra's name weighing down on him in every room. Lengyun's place seemed more like a home. It wasn't messy, but it wasn't pristine, either. It had just the right balance between tidiness and disorder. The front door led into the living room, which was adjacent to the kitchen. A short hallway gave access to four doors: one for the bathroom, one for Lengyun's bedroom, one for the guest bedroom that Navid now occupied, and a fourth one he hadn't noticed the night before.

"What room is this?" Navid asked.

"Oh, that's just… where I keep some old junk," Lengyun said, opening the door.

When Navid saw what was inside, he turned to the Earthbender in disbelief. "Way to downplay it! That's not what 'old junk' means!"

"Eh…" Lengyun said, shrugging. A piece of furniture in the middle of the room held not one, not two, but _five_ trophies. Approaching them, Navid examined the inscriptions that read: _Sabre-Tooth Moose Lions: Pro-bending Champions_. The year was different in each of the trophies, arranged by Lengyun chronologically. Navid knew his teacher was a former star athlete, but it hadn't struck him just how victorious he had been.

"I can't believe you've won five of these. In a row. Man, you were good!" Navid exclaimed.

"Thanks. It's an all-time record my team set, you know," Lengyun replied, playfully bragging.

"How old were you when you won these?"

"I was 19 when we won the first one and 23 when we won the last. Can't believe it's been seven years already since we stopped."

"Why did you stop?" Navid asked. "Your team, I mean. You guys had won five in a row, couldn't you have won more?"

Lengyun's face changed a little. "Maybe, but my teammates had other plans. Our Waterbender, Varka, got pregnant that year and had to stop playing."

"Why didn't you and your other teammate find someone else, then?"

"Eh, it's a long story," Lengyun said. "Aren't you hungry? Tea's getting cold." Navid understood that he wanted to change the subject and respected that.

Going to the kitchen, the two shared a nice cup of mixed berries tea with bread and cheese. If he had stayed at Alima's, the breakfast would have probably been a seven-course meal or something. This was much better. But Navid was curious about his new teacher.

"So… um… this guy that's gonna teach me? Takashi? What's he like?"

Sighing and rolling his eyes, Lengyun said: "He's a good Firebender. Don't know what he's like as a teacher, though." Navid had never seen Lengyun like this.

"Okay. Why do you hate him?" Navid asked directly. Their relationship allowed him to talk that way. He knew Lengyun didn't mind. But this time, he seemed to take exception.

"I don't hate him, who told you that?"

"Well, you didn't want him to teach me and when I mentioned him just now, you rolled your eyes so far back you probably saw your own brain."

"That doesn't mean I hate him. I just think he's… a sketchy dude."

"I have no idea how to interpret that. This guy's gonna be my teacher, you're scaring me."

"Don't worry, okay? The training should be fine. He's not a bad guy, he's just… sketchy, I don't know what else to say," he replied, getting up and going to the sink to wash the cups.

"How do you know each other?"

"We met when we were your age. Alima and great-uncle Mako chose him just because he's known us for a while. He also knows my parents and great-parents..."

"Why does he know your whole family?"

Lengyun paused. Turning around to face Navid, he said: "Look, what I think of the guy doesn't matter, right? If you get along with him, that's fine. If you don't, that's okay, too, just tell us and we'll find you a new teacher."

"You sound like you're hoping for the latter option."

"I'm not! All I'm saying is, don't expect him to be as cool as me, alright?" he said, hoping a joke would put an end to the conversation. "He's gonna be here any minute, is your backpack ready?" Before Navid had the time to reply, the doorbell rang. "Ugh, I forgot how punctual he is," Lengyun said, looking at his wristwatch. Navid knew there was something he wasn't telling him, but he'd have to find out more later.

When Lengyun headed to the door to open it, Navid didn't know what to expect. Lengyun had painted a negative portrait of Takashi, so he had adjusted his expectations accordingly. He had spent more time with Lengyun than anyone else over the previous year, so he trusted his judgment. The door swung open and revealed his new master.

A little taller but less stocky than Lengyun, Takashi smiled broadly as soon as he saw them. He wore a plain white shirt with short sleeves and pants the colour of wine that had the logo of the United Forces on the right leg, a little above the knee. His wavy black hair was combed to the side, its curves well defined and orderly. His gold-coloured eyes seemed to smile with him. Sketchy wasn't the word Navid would have used to describe him. "Hello, Lengyun! It's so good to see you again. How are you?", he said, wrapping his arms around him in a friendly hug Navid was not expecting. Apparently, Lengyun's reservations about him weren't reciprocated.

"Good," Lengyun replied with significantly less enthusiasm and hugging him with only one hand, the other one still holding the doorknob. "Thanks for coming."

"Don't mention it," Takashi said, letting go. Navid noticed there was a very small streak of grey hair near his forehead. The absence of a topknot made it clear that he was from the United Republic and not the Fire Nation. But he seemed friendly and polite, which was a positive surprise, after Lengyun's unflattering description.

The Earthbender gestured him to come in and closed the door. "Takashi, this is Avatar Navid."

"It's an honour to meet you, Avatar," the Firebender said, stretching his arm to shake his hand.

"You too. I'm looking forward to learning from you," he answered.

"Alright," Lengyun said, interrupting. "Everyone knows everyone, so we can go."

Takashi was a little surprised. "Oh, you're… coming with us?" Navid didn't even know that.

"Yeah," Lengyun replied. "Is that a problem?"

"Not at all," Takashi said, a little uncomfortable, starting to pick up on Lengyun's distaste for him.

Navid was beginning to get second-hand embarrassment from the way Lengyun was acting. He was being quite rude. Thankfully, the phone rang and interrupted the awkwardness. While Lengyun answered it, Takashi asked Navid about Omashu, about his family, if he had any siblings, if he'd had some time off after finishing his earthbending training. He commended him for being able to bend metal, too, as that was a rare skill, and expressed his certainty that he would adapt just fine to the new element. The friendliness and warmth in his voice made a good impression, his praise sounded sincere and his questions, genuine. Lengyun, however, came back from the phone call looking a little disappointed.

"Anything wrong?" Navid asked.

"No, it's just that I won't be able to go with you guys after all," he explained. "Alima needs me to go help her with something."

"What a shame," Takashi politely said. "Will you tell her I said hi?"

"Will do," Lengyun answered with as much niceness as he could pretend. "Navid, is that alright?" he asked, to which the teenager nodded.

"I'll have him back by six," Takashi said. "Sharp. Don't worry about us, we'll be fine."

Lengyun exhaled and gave a half nod. "Have a good class," he said, opening the door so they could leave. There was no goodbye hug. He stood under the doorframe, with arms firmly crossed and a huge frown on his face, until Takashi and Navid turned the hall.

-/-/-

AS usual, Alima's logic made perfect sense.

"Think about it, it's the only explanation," she said. "Someone who works here has to have facilitated their entry. Knowing the kind of person the Fire Lord is, I don't think international espionage is beneath him at all."

Mako and Lengyun looked at each other. She had called them there to share her theory on Navid's attackers. And it was a concerning one.

"Alima, dear, if you really think there is a Fire Nation spy infiltrated in your staff, don't you think it's time to get the police involved?" Mako asked.

"Absolutely not," she replied. "Otherwise we'd have to tell them who they're targeting, and we can't have that. Navid's identity has to remain secret until he learns all four elements."

"But if there are spies here, the secret is already out, isn't it? The Fire Lord must have been told already," Mako insisted. "Alima, we may end up worsening an already complicated political mess. The situation in the Fire Nation is the kind of thing it takes an Avatar to solve."

"He's not ready yet," she shot back.

"How long do you think we can deprive the world of the Avatar? It's been 17 years and look how much of an impact his absence causes," Mako answered.

"I'm not getting him involved," Alima replied firmly, meeting the elder's eyes with no hesitation.

Sensing the tension, Lengyun intervened: "What do you need us to do?"

"We can find out who the spy is. I've told all my staff that I need to update their registers to comply with a new law the President passed. I've scheduled interviews with all of them. It's the perfect cover to ask them about place of origin, backgrounds, etc. If we catch someone in contradiction, we'll know it's them."

"I think it's risky," Mako said.

"I agree," she replied bluntly, "that's why I asked Lengyun to be here. By the way, how was it this morning? Did Takashi show up to pick up Navid?"

"Yeah, he did," Lengyun answered. "Lovely to have him in my home again," he said, the sarcasm almost palpable.

"Would you stop that?" Alima said, shaking her head. "No one's asking you to be best buddies with him, we just asked him to teach Navid to bend fire. Since… Naoki can't," she added, looking at Mako. "Uncle, I…" she stopped, calculating her next words. "I understand how badly you want to see the situation in the Fire Nation resolved. We all miss her. But I can't disrespect my mother's wish."

"I understand that," he said. "But I'm 92. I feel like I'm running out of time to see her again."

-/-/-

"I THINK Auntie Maimai saw you," Zarya told Sora after he sneaked into her bedroom and she closed the door.

"So? Who cares about her?" he replied.

He had a point. At first, Zarya was paranoid that the other employees would see the two of them together and become suspicious. Until Sora reminded her that the truth would probably be the last theory to occur to them. Being the target of rumours and whispers did bother Zarya, but it was a lot better than the alternative. And besides, it's not like they were entirely off mark.

"Did you get the memo?" he asked her.

"Yeah. What's with these interviews? I didn't hear of any new laws."

"She made the whole thing up. I think she suspects someone in the house let Reimi and Aoki in."

"How? How does she know?"

"I think she used a method called 'not being an idiot', it's pretty good," he joked as Zarya pinched him. Not the time or the place. "Seriously, she knows that no one outside her circle knows that tall guy is the Avatar, so the only way would be if someone was expecting a 17-year-old from the Earth Kingdom to show up one day, which is exactly what we've been doing. You gotta hand it to the lady, she's smart."

"I guess…" Zarya said. The previous year had felt like an unending wait. When their boss's friend had shown up with a teenage 'friend' of theirs from the 'south' that 'would be staying there for a while', there was no doubt in hers or Sora's mind who he was. "What are we gonna do?"

"We stick to the plan. They made us memorize fake birthplaces and relatives' names for a reason, right? Well, this is it. Go over your backstory. And when she asks, answer what's in there. I'll do the same." He didn't seem concerned, which Zarya appreciated. "Hey," he said, "we're gonna be fine. We'll be back home soon."

"I know," she said, trying to sound certain, trying to _feel _certain.

Except she knew something he didn't. Which was why she could never be as confident as he was. In the dim light of her room, his dark brown eyes and his black hair were impossible to see in detail, but he somehow still looked handsome. Approaching her, he held her cheeks and kissed her forehead. She hugged him, pressing her head against his shoulder. He smelled nice. She had to break away from this embrace immediately. The more time she spent with him, the more her resolve to do what she had to waned. "Go back. To your position. I have some work to do, too."

"Hang on, let me tell you an idea I had," he replied. "I think I can bring up the princess in the conversation." Zarya's eyes widened in concern. He explained: "I know what you're thinking, she's never gonna tell the gatekeeper where she is, but maybe, if we plant the thought in her mind, she'll double check if she's fine. And we can follow the trail."

It could work. She knew that they needed to find out where the princess was, and so far, they had exactly zero leads. "Do you think you can do that without raising suspicion?"

"Yeah, because my background story includes me having family in the Fire Nation that I don't get to see," he explained. "How's this for a sad face?" he asked, putting on his best fake trembling lips. How he managed to keep his sense of humour was a mystery to Zarya. She felt as though the stress was eating her alive, the constant acting sapping all her energy. She thought she was lucky to have Sora there. "Okay, I'll go now," he said. "Good luck," he added, before very gently pulling her chin up and leaning in for a kiss. A few seconds of heaven before it was back to work. She wasn't sure how much more of this she could take.

She opened the door and checked the hallway first, and then he left, heading back out to his position. If his plan worked and they found out the location of the princess, that would mean her mission would have to be fulfilled soon. She needed the Avatar and the princess, too, but not for the same reason he needed them. She knew she couldn't fail. Her family was waiting for her. So was his. She rued the day she'd allowed himself to fall for him. Drawing a deep breath and asking the spirits for a calm heart, she also headed back to work.

-/-/-

"WELCOME to the Academy of the Republic," Takashi said. Stepping out of the car, Navid saw the words 共和國科學院 on the front of the building, shining under the sunlight. "The only bending school in the world for all four elements," his teacher then added. "I've reserved a space for us. Shall we?" he asked, leading the way as Navid followed him.

The gymnasium Takashi took him to had everything they needed: proper equipment, bending gear, etc. The place was big. Navid wondered how much the paying students forked out in order to learn their elements there. Back in Omashu, Alima was footing quite a hefty bill so he and Lengyun could practise with the discretion they needed in the best bending school in town. Here, privacy was equally important. No one could be around to see a guy with green eyes being taught to bend fire.

"What do you think?" Takashi asked.

"It's awesome. I can't believe I'll get to learn here," Navid said.

"You won't have to worry about anyone barging in. It's not that uncommon for people to reserve a space for private classes," his teacher explained. Then, picking up some gear from a nearby bench, he added: "And this right here is for you. This is what you'll wear for your firebending lessons."

He should have probably seen it coming, but the outfit was red from head to toe. Not a very popular colour where he was from. Lengyun had told him once that Avatars aren't supposed to be overly attached to any of the nations, not even the one they were born in. If it was customary to learn firebending in red clothes, then so be it. He headed to the locker room in order to change while Takashi waited for him.

Unfamiliar with the layout of the building, it wasn't long before Navid made a wrong turn at one of the corridors and got lost trying to find a locker room. When he eventually found one, he thought it was probably not the one nearest to where he was, but whatever. Going inside, he changed into his new gear and looked at himself in the mirror. The fabrics were very unlike what he was used to, and he deduced that the reason was that they couldn't be flammable. The protective pads on his elbows and knees were white, contrasting vividly with the flame-coloured tone of the shirt and the pants. He thought it looked cool, although it was strange seeing himself in those clothes. This would be his uniform for the next months, maybe even the next year. _Unless someone kills you first_, said a dark corner of his mind.

He was shaking off the thought when a real voice behind him got him back to reality:

"Navid?"

The voice was familiar, but he didn't recognize it until he turned in its direction. And saw the healer from the hospital standing there.

"Oh… hi," Navid said, struggling to find words. "Karnuk, right? What a surprise!"

"I didn't know you studied here!" he said, the same joviality from the previous day in his voice. "So do I! This is where I train my waterbending!"

That explained the wet hair and the swimming trunks. Navid cursed himself for getting lost and ending up in the locker room dedicated to the students of another element entirely. Before he could think of a good excuse to leave, Karnuk furrowed his brows and said, pointing a confused finger to him:

"Why are you wearing firebending gear? I thought you said you were from Omashu." Navid was certain his brain was melting out of his ears as it worked at full capacity to come up with a believable lie.

"I'm not from Omashu... I lied. I'm sorry," Navid said.

"Oh, okay... Why?" Karnuk then asked.

"Because I... felt like it." He was really bad at this. "I'm actually from the Fire Nation, as you can see."

"Really? That's what you're going with?" Karnuk replied. "Everyone knows that's impossible, those freaks don't let anyone out. Now what I don't understand is why a guy from the Earth Kingdom would be learning fireb..." He stopped cold in his tracks. "Holy Tui, are you the Avat..."

"Don't say that!" Navid said as he jumped forward to cover Karnuk's mouth with one hand while bending the metallic knob to close the door with the other.

Ridding himself of Navid's hand, Karnuk replied: "You totally are, though, right? There's no way you're not, right? Right? I mean, right?"

"Yes," Navid replied, whispering. "I'm the A… You're right."

"Damn," he said, no longer shouting. If that was the impact the A-word caused on people, Navid didn't like it. He felt that Karnuk was looking at him like an alien. "I can't believe I got to heal the Avatar. I'm gonna get _so_ much extra credit when I tell that to my teachers."

"No, please, you can't. It's a secret, no one can know that it's me, alright?"

"A secret? Why?"

"Well, because I'm not done training yet, as you can see," Navid replied, reproducing what he'd been told by Alima.

"Bummer. But if you've got three elements to learn, why are you wasting time studying philosophy?" Karnuk asked. Unmet with a reply, he slowly got it. "Oh, dude, you didn't come to study philosophy, you came to study firebending because you're the Avatar! Aw, that's so cool!"

"Please don't tell anyone, okay? I really wasn't supposed to let people find out."

"I won't. Promise. Water Tribe honour. But you have to promise me that you'll let me teach you some waterbending moves."

Navid knew there was a right order to learn the elements and that it existed for a very good spiritual reason and thus wasn't meant to be broken. But he also wanted Karnuk to keep his mouth shut, so he conceded. "Sure, of course. I guess we go to the same school in a way, we'll probably see each other a lot."

"Yeah!" he said, celebrating to himself. "I can't believe I go to the same school as the Avatar!" The door was opened by a few other students who came into the locker room and Navid was positively surprised by how quickly Karnuk bit his tongue. "See you tomorrow, then, classmate," he said, with a purposefully funny inflection on the last word that Navid couldn't help but smile at.

"Didn't you come here to change?" Navid pointed out, since Karnuk was headed for the door.

"Oh, right..." Karnuk replied, doing his pathetic best to sound casual now other people were within earshot. "I forgot what I came here to do," he said, laughing at himself as he entered one of the stalls.

Navid sighed. The biggest secret in the world had just been revealed by accident. He hoped he had handled it well. Alima would kill him if she found out. Heading back to where he was supposed to be, Takashi kindly asked what took him so long, politely pointing out that there was another locker room much, much closer. Navid shrugged. "Oops," he said.

-/-/-

"THAT will be all, Sora, thank you," Alima Sato said, ending her interview.

"Are you sure you don't need anything else, ma'am?" he asked, in his friendliest tone. Answering her questions hadn't been hard. His disguise had been very carefully designed, all the details of his fake background thoroughly inspected to make sure none of them contradicted another. She had simply asked where he was born, his parents' names, how long he'd lived in Republic City, previous jobs… Basic stuff. He could go on and on. But she was satisfied.

"Yes, I'm sure. Thank you for coming," she said.

"You're welcome," he replied. Smiling at both her and at Lengyun, who had stood by the window behind her desk the whole time, certainly acting as a security guard, he asked, in the friendliest way he could: "By the way, ma'am, what about that guest of yours that needed to be taken to the hospital the day before yesterday? Is he okay?"

"Oh," she said, "he is, fortunately. We got him to the hospital and he's doing great."

"If you ask me, it's a shame what those people do," he said.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well, I saw him when you were carrying him out. He got burned, didn't he? I assume it was people from the Fire Nation. I know because my mom is from the Fire Nation, like I told you, and when I was little she always told me and my brother to be careful with those purists. She said to stay away from them because they had ruined her country," he explained, replicating the lies those foreigners liked to tell. He could see in their faces that they were falling for it. "And the worst is that they forced the princess to leave. My mom always prayed that the spirits would protect her from them, wherever she is." He didn't miss the glance that Alima and Lengyun exchanged. That was all he needed. "And I'm glad to hear your friend is alright, ma'am. If you'll excuse me."

"Of course, Sora, thank you again for coming."

When he left, closing the wooden doors of Alima's study behind him, he instantly pulled out a glass cup from his pocket. Back home, they had been taught to use whatever resources they had, however simple they may be, to get their job done. It didn't matter in the slightest that rudimentary methods were less glamorous, as long as they worked. All to bring justice to the Fire Nation. Placing the cup on the door and pushing his ear against it, he heard what they said inside.

"We didn't even consider that," Lengyun said. "We just assumed they were only after Navid. It's very possible that they're after the princess, too."

"How didn't I think of that?" Alima said, concern in her voice. "I'm gonna try to contact Akiko." The mention of the usurper's name got Sora excited. He just needed a location.

"Are you thinking of going there? Don't do that. You could be followed," Lengyun said.

_Damn it_, Sora thought. That was exactly his plan. If this didn't work, he didn't know how else he could find out where she'd been hiding for the past 17 years. He looked up and down the hallway, hoping that no one would walk past. It would be really hard to explain why he was eavesdropping on the boss's office.

"You're right. I can't go there, it's too risky. But maybe I can contact her from here," Alima replied.

"There are phones where she is?" Lengyun asked, revealing that he didn't know the location. The Sato lady was the only person who could give Sora what he wanted. He crossed his fingers, hoping she would give it away.

"Yes, of course there are. I didn't send her to the middle of the desert," she said, ruling out one possibility. "She's in the United Republic, just in a small town." That was a start, but Sora wanted more.

"Alone?" Lengyun asked.

"No, she has someone protecting her, I made sure of that." She sighed. After a prolonged pause that almost made Sora lose hope, she said: "Time to pay Xueshan a call."

Bingo. Xueshan was the name of a town in the north of the country, near the Earth Kingdom border. Sora got up as quietly as possible and headed back to work. Just a few more hours until his shift ended, then he could contact Reiki and Aomi and send them on their way to get rid of the usurper. He couldn't wait to tell Zarya, either. Their mission would be over soon, and they'd go back home. They'd be heroes.

"Long live the Fire Nation, " he thought to himself.


	4. Wolves in Sheep's Clothing

BOOK ONE

**REVOLUTION**

CHAPTER THREE

**WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING**

ZARYA would be so thrilled when he told her.

Sora knew she wanted to go home. He knew she was tired. After all, she was the only one who had to spend all of her time inside the manor, playing her character non-stop. They had both been hired to work in the Sato estate approximately one year earlier, but his job as a gatekeeper didn't require him to live on the site, hers was a live-in position. He got to go home at the end of the day, she didn't. He thought she would like hearing that his plan had worked, that after all this time they knew where the princess was cowering, and that they were closer than ever before to fulfilling their mission. If only they could figure out where the Avatar was hiding, now that the Sato lady had sent him away from the manor. Sora had a plan for that, too, but that would have to wait. First, Zarya. He wanted to see her smile again.

He found her in one of the studies, being forced to polish pieces of furniture that were already impeccably clean. When she saw him, he thought her eyes lit up for a moment before they filled up with concern again. She had been doing that for a while every time she saw him. First, excitement; a split second later, apprehension. Fear, almost. He hoped she was just cautious.

She gestured him to close the door behind him and he did.

"Did someone see you?" she asked.

"I don't know, I was too excited to be careful."

"What are you talking about?"

"It worked."

She knew what he meant. The expression on her face was a mix of surprise and intrigue. But not happiness, unfortunately. He really hoped she was just cautious.

"So, you know where the Princess is hiding?" she asked.

"Yeah," he replied. "A small town in the north called Xueshan."

"Is that where she's been all this time? Since she ran away?"

"I don't know and I don't care. That's where she is now, right? She's probably living under a fake name but Reiki and Aomi can sniff her out."

"Have you sent them after her already?"

"I'll do that as soon as I leave work today."

She nodded. Her gaze was distant, her brain thinking ahead. "We finally know where the princess is," she whispered, more to herself than to him. There was finally satisfaction in her words. It made him happy. Until her mind immediately jumped to their next problem: "But now the Sato lady sent the Avatar somewhere we don't know." After a sigh, she continued: "We need to know where both of them are because we need to get them at the same time."

"I know, I know," he said before adding with a smile, "But I think I know how we can figure that out."

"I'm listening," she said.

"Sato wouldn't risk telling anyone outside her circle about the Avatar, right? And she wouldn't leave him alone, either. So there's actually very few places where he could be. He's gotta be staying with one of her friends. Maybe the old man or maybe Beifong. Think about it. I'm going to investigate that today, since both of them are here and their homes will be empty."

His logic was flawless. He could tell that she agreed by the slight nod she offered him.

"Okay. Figure that out if you can," she finally said, a bit more coldly than he would have liked.

"Will do," he replied.

"You should go," she continued. "My interview with the lady is in half an hour."

"All right," Sora said. He leaned into her for a goodbye kiss, but she backed away. He was stunned for a moment.

"Not here," she explained.

Right, that made sense. They weren't even supposed to be alone in one of the studies, anyway. Her caution was probably for the best. If he had been alone, he would have probably blown his cover and gotten caught a long time ago. Thanks to her, he held out long enough until the opportunity of finding the Avatar and the princess presented itself. He couldn't wait to see what she was like pressure-free, when they returned home and got to live their life. The time was coming. Their mission would be over soon. Turning around, he left her alone in the study. She continued working like he'd never been there.

-/-/-

"DID you get a hold of her?" Mako asked, concerned.

Alima sat behind the huge desk of her office, with Mako and Lengyun sitting opposite her, on two huge armchairs that she had imported from Ba Sing Se. She was briefing them on the talk she had just had with Akiko. As much safety as she tried to convey in her voice, concern was splattered across their faces.

"Yeah, she's fine. I talked to her and to her bodyguard, they'll keep an eye out," Alima replied.

"Does she only have one bodyguard? Are we sure that's enough?" he asked.

"He was chosen by Master Laziri himself," she explained. "Plus, I don't think there's any reason to panic just yet. They don't know where I sent Navid, and Akiko has constant protection. My priority right now is finding out which one of my employees is the spy before anything dangerous happens."

"Who are you interviewing next?" Lengyun asked.

"I'm almost done talking to the maids," Alima said, her eyes going through a paper on her desk. "Up next is Zarya."

"I know who that is, I'll go get her for you," Mako said, standing up.

"Are you sure, Uncle? I can have someone else fetch her for us," Alima said.

"No, it's fine. I need to walk more, anyway. Doctor says it's good for my hip. I'll be right back."

The elder shut the door behind him, leaving Alima and Lengyun alone in the office.

"Let me ask you something," Lengyun said. "Did you call Prila? Does she know what happened three days ago?"

"I don't wanna worry her," Alima replied. "Plus, I wanna know exactly what's going on before doing anything hasty. We're not even sure what their final goal is yet."

"Her son suffered a murder attempt under our responsibility and we're not gonna tell her?"

"What could she do about it, Lengyun? We are better able to protect him than she is."

Alima could be so blunt sometimes. Her ruthless pragmatism had made her the perfect administrator and businesswoman, keeping Future Industries competitive and expansive for over 20 years, ever since taking over the helm for the elderly Asami. No one would have been better than her at the task of sheltering the new Avatar. But approaching everything with a practical, result-oriented mentality also meant that she wasn't always easy to talk to. Lengyun's father had once said to him in secrecy that growing up with her was like having an overachieving sibling you didn't have much in common with. He could see what he meant.

A few minutes later, the next employee on the list, Zarya, gently opened the door after a knock.

"Ms. Sato? You wanted to see me?" she said.

"Yes. Please, come in," Alima replied, back in her formal self.

While the young maid took her seat, Mako also came back in. Lengyun stood up to offer him his chair, but he declined. "Actually," he explained, "I'm leaving."

"Won't you stay for dinner, Uncle?" Alima asked.

"Thank you, dear, but I won't. I have something I need to do," he said.

"If you waited a bit longer, I could go with you," Lengyun offered.

"Don't you worry about me. I'll call you later tonight. Goodbye," he finished, turning around and shutting the door behind him.

Lengyun went around the desk to be behind Alima so that they both faced the young woman, who looked up at them with a shy, neutral expression.

Offering a professional smile, Alima said: "Let's start."

-/-/-

"YOU can stop now, you've got it," Takashi said, satisfied with what he was hearing.

Navid silently thanked the spirits, because he was exhausted. Takashi was making him do push-ups. According to him, he needed to be able to control and time his breathing in all kinds of situations, even during strenuous physical effort; hence, the workout. Takashi had explained that without proper breath control, there can be no firebending. Navid could already point out several differences between the philosophy behind his new element and that of his native one. With earthbending, it's all about your posture, about how firm you are. With firebending, it's about _control_. Keeping a cool head in order to control your breath. Controlling your breath in order to control flames eventually. Fire couldn't be bent on instinct or on emotion, the best Firebenders were the most rational ones. It was a little soon to know for sure, but he thought he liked it.

"What comes next?" he asked.

"Calm down. Catch your breath first, you look like you need a minute," Takashi replied.

He was right. The more time Navid spent with Takashi, the less he understood why Lengyun had a problem with him. He was friendly, polite, seemed patient as a teacher, and clearly he was a good bender, otherwise he wouldn't have been chosen. Granted, it had only been two days, but in that amount of time, Navid and Lengyun had gotten into five fights back when they started training, and they eventually got along. There had to be more to that story.

"How much of Republic City have you already seen?" Takashi liked to fill spaces with small talk.

"Not a lot, actually. I wanted to go to the spirit portal or to the vine forest, but Alima said that's not a good idea because the spirits would... you know, recognize me."

"Oh, right, that makes sense. But there are still places you can go to, I think. Kyoshi Bridge, Air Temple Island, Avatar Korra Park, the city is really big."

"Are you from here?"

"Born and raised. My family goes back five generations here in the city. Some of my ancestors were among the first settlers who came here after the Republic was founded." He sounded proud. Navid knew that the United Republic of Nations was the youngest of the world's countries, having been founded by Avatar Aang. _One of my predecessors_, his mind whispered. He just didn't know whether the people from there identified more closely with the Republic itself or with the nation of their element. That answered his question.

"Theoretically, I could learn all the other elements here, right?" he asked.

"Well, yeah, you could, but that's not how things should be done. You're supposed to travel all around the world. In fact, Alima told me her mother specifically wanted that for you, since she didn't get that chance."

Navid then finally asked the question he'd been dancing around:

"Then why am I not in the Fire Nation right now?"

Takashi's expression turned a bit more serious, but not completely. He was looking for the right words, which was a good sign. He wasn't about to tell Navid to just drop it.

"Do you know what an embargo is?" his teacher asked.

"Yeah, I think," he answered. "It's when no one can go to a place, right?"

"No one can go to a place or trade with it or talk to the people there. The Fire Nation has been under an embargo. For the last seventeen years."

"Exactly seventeen?" Navid asked. "That's... that's how old I am."

"I know. That's not a coincidence. It happened right after Avatar Korra died."

Navid processed that information. Seventeen years. His whole life. Everything he had ever seen, done, or experienced happened while that separation was in effect. That was how long Mako hadn't seen his daughter. Something about that didn't feel right. That couldn't be normal. That couldn't be how the nations were meant to live.

"Why?" he asked. "What's the reason for this?"

Takashi was about to answer when suddenly they heard a floorboard creak near the door. Turning their heads in the direction of the noise, for a split second Navid thought he saw movement, someone hiding behind the stands that surrounded the gymnasium.

"Did you see that?" Navid asked.

Takashi didn't answer. Instead, he formed fire daggers in both hands. "Stay back," he said.

His teacher moved toward the stand slowly, his knees slightly bent, anticipating the need for sudden movement. Navid obeyed his order and stayed where he was, assuming an earthbending stance, in preparation for a fight. Takashi got closer and closer to the source of the noise. The wooden stands weren't adjacent to the walls; there was a small gap behind them where someone could hide. Takashi turned the corner, getting his arms in position should the flames in his hands be necessary.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" he shouted to whoever was back there, whom Navid couldn't see.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," a cracking voice said. "I'm a student. I study here." A cracking voice which Navid recognized.

"Karnuk?" he asked from where he was.

"Yeah," the voice replied.

Takashi, realizing he wasn't a threat, extinguished the daggers in his hands and stepped back. Karnuk poked his head around the corner, embarrassed and apologetic. "Hi. Sorry for barging in."

-/-/-

NOT many retirees lived in Republic City.

Most of them preferred to move to the south of the United Republic where the weather was warmer and things were less hectic. Sora didn't understand why Mako didn't do the same. He was single and had no family left in the city. He should just leave. His only daughter lived in the Fire Nation, it wasn't like he could _see_ her. He probably resented that fact, but that didn't matter to Sora. None of what those foreigners thought about the Fire Nation mattered, not after what they had done. The only thing that did matter was that Mako's small apartment building had been remarkably easy to break into. Most of the occupants of the other homes hadn't returned from work yet, so the hallways were basically empty. Picking the lock hadn't been hard either. Not for a man with his skills.

Upon entering, he started going through the old man's things, looking for signs that someone else was staying there with him. None of his possessions mattered; Sora wasn't a thief. What he wanted was information. He went to the guest bedroom, and, upon entering, was disappointed to find no signs of an occupant. In fact, the mattress laid bare on the bed; no sheets, blankets, or pillow. Sora opened the wardrobe just to be sure and found it empty. The Avatar wasn't there. Nothing on the rest of the house suggested otherwise, either. No signs of a teenager anywhere. Sora cursed and got ready to leave, but before he did, something in the living room did catch his eye. A picture, very old, that showed a younger Mako alongside a young woman. Probably his daughter. She was pregnant in the picture, and there were two other kids standing in front of them. They all smiled at the camera; three generations of a family. Sora looked at the date scribbled on the bottom right corner: the year was 227 AG. That picture had been taken only months before the Fire Nation cut ties with the rest of the world. Mako kept that in his living room, which meant that he looked at that photo every day. Those kids were probably adults now. Sora wondered if Mako still had hopes of seeing them again.

He shook those thoughts out of his head. That wasn't his concern. He had to prioritize _his_ family, seeing _them_ again. But for that, he needed to complete his mission first. He already knew where the treacherous princess was, and when he had informed Reiki and Aomi, they left for Xueshan immediately, eager to fulfil the other half of their assignment. His was finding the Avatar, who clearly wasn't here. Only one other place where he could be. Exiting the door very carefully, checking to see that the corridor was empty, he left, leaving no evidence that he had been there. When Mako returned home, he would think he had just forgotten to lock it. Sora headed out and then towards his next destination: Lengyun's apartment.

-/-/-

"THIS is Karnuk," Navid said awkwardly, introducing his teacher to his newest acquaintance.

"Nice to meet you," Karnuk then said, stretching his hand to enthusiastically shake Takashi's.

"Okay... may I ask what you're doing here?" the Firebender asked, still a little surprised.

"I was just stopping by to say 'hello' to Navid, really," he said, asking him for help with his eyes.

"He's..." Navid said, "a friend of mine. I mean, we met a couple days ago, but, yeah."

"Alright, then," Takashi said, his suspicions appeased. "You're probably wondering what we were doing training together, since he and I don't bend the same element..." he then said, trying to come up with an explanation.

"Of course you do, he's the Avatar," Karnuk said very nonchalantly, before Navid had time to stop him. When Takashi's expression turned to shock, he added: "Oh, you hadn't told him I know?"

"_Sifu_, I'm so sorry," Navid said. "I swear it was an accident. I know no one is supposed to know, I totally didn't mean to..."

"That's okay," his teacher said, interrupting him. "Navid, it's fine. I was trying to cover it up because I thought he didn't know, but if he already does, that's fine. Look, keeping you a secret is Alima's decision. I'm just following her orders. But if you ask me, I think your identity belongs to you. You should be able to decide who you tell or don't tell. It's not a problem to me." Navid was liking his new teacher more and more by the minute. "Sorry, I never told you my name," he then said to Karnuk, "I'm Takashi."

"A Firebender named Takashi?" Karnuk replied. "Don't tell me you're _the_ Takashi, from TV."

His teacher blushed and let out a slightly embarrassed laugh. Navid had no idea what they were talking about, but Karnuk got really excited.

"Holy turtle seal, it _is_ you! Takashi Thunder!" he exclaimed.

"That's your last name?" Navid asked.

"No," he answered. "It's a stupid nickname I had."

"Navid, why didn't you tell me your firebending teacher was a pro-bending legend?" Karnuk asked. "Your team was the best of all time! You guys won five championships in a row! You gotta sign my... I'll find something for you to sign!" he said, before turning to his backpack and going through the mess in there.

"You were the Firebender in Lengyun's team," Navid said, the epiphany helping to explain a lot. "You guys were teammates."

"Yeah, we were," Takashi replied. "Why? He didn't... tell you?"

"No," Navid answered. "He just told me you guys met when you were my age, but he didn't tell me you played together."

"Oh, Lengyun..." Takashi said with a disapproving sigh right when Karnuk returned with a cap and a pen and asked for an autograph. The Firebender gladly signed it.

"Thank you so much! Dude, I've got Takashi Thunder's autograph!" Karnuk exclaimed in celebration.

"You're welcome. Listen, why don't you guys go hang out for a bit, take a walk or something. Navid and I were about to take a break anyway. I'll see you back here in thirty minutes, alright? Maybe your friend can show you around the Academy so you don't get lost again."

Navid would have more than a few things to say to Lengyun when he saw him again, but for now, that sounded like a plan. Karnuk offered to take him to the cafeteria so they could eat something, which sounded like a great idea. Spending time with someone who knew he was the Avatar but wasn't a master or a mentor was new for Navid. There were very few people in the world who knew that about him, which sometimes made it feel like a taboo. Talking to and hanging out with Karnuk had an almost destigmatizing effect. It gave Navid a sense of normalcy he didn't often get to feel. He could get used to that.

As the two boys walked, Navid realized that the initial shock of finding out he was the Avatar had faded and now Karnuk talked to him more normally, or at least so he thought. He had never been to Omashu, and wanted to know what it was like, since apparently the fame of the city's delivery system had reached the North Pole.

"Is it true it can be used as a super slide?" he asked.

"That's probably just an urban legend," Navid replied, wondering how a myth like that got started.

"Shame," Karnuk answered. "In the Water Tribe, everything is extremely slippery. You know, cause it's made of ice."

Winters in the central regions of the Earth Kingdom, where Omashu was, were extremely mild, and Navid still hated them. He couldn't fathom the thought of a place that was permanently frozen.

"I know water is my last element, but I'm already dreading the idea of having to go live in the North or the South Pole. I'm gonna freeze to death. I do not handle cold weather very well," he said.

"You get used to it after a while," Karnuk replied.

The two crossed the huge campus of the Academy of the Republic, to the food parlour, and sat at a table after being served quite a generous amount of food. Apparently, all students had free access to the cafeteria. Navid had a bad habit of not realizing how hungry he was while training. Only when he stopped could he actually hear his stomach grumbling. After Takashi had given him the break, he noticed he was absolutely famished, probably from the workout.

"So, what's it like bending more than one element?" Karnuk asked.

"I don't know yet," he replied. "I've only ever bent earth and I just started firebending training yesterday. I haven't made any flames yet. Takashi's going over some basics with me first."

"It must be so awesome to be able to do that. Man, you have, like, the coolest job in the world." Upon seeing Navid's unenthusiastic shrug, he added: "You don't seem to agree with me."

"It's not that, it's just... you know, it's an important job. I don't wanna screw up."

"Oh," Karnuk said, assenting, "well, you're learning from the best teacher out there. Takashi was amazing when he was a player. His whole team was legendary, I remember watching their matches when I was little. Do you watch pro-bending?"

"Not really. But if you were their fan, you should know Lengyun taught me earthbending." Immediately after saying that, Navid realized he had done so way too casually. Karnuk's brain seemed to be short-circuiting:

"You learned from the Stone Canon, too?"

"Are all sports nicknames awful?"

"You gotta introduce us. I need his autograph, too!"

"I don't think he's gonna be as level-headed as Takashi was about you knowing who I am."

"Why is it a secret, anyway? Why not just tell everyone?"

"Well, because my training isn't complete yet. I've still got three more elements to learn. I shouldn't sign up for the job before I'm actually able to do it, right?" That logic worked for Navid. Although it hadn't been his idea, he enjoyed the anonymity. He didn't like pressure, and the most important role in the world probably came with a lot of it. The longer he could postpone that, the better. Eager to stop talking about himself, he asked: "What about you? What brings you to Republic City? Why'd you leave the North Pole?"

"Oh, I'm here to study philosophy in college," Karnuk replied, full of sarcasm.

"Right. Yeah, sorry for lying to you."

Laughing it off, he continued: "We moved because of my dad. He's a professor, and he got a job at Republic City University. So we came here."

"Wow, your dad's a professor? No wonder you get to train here."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, this place is so fancy. Probably expensive. I assume not everyone can afford to study here."

"What are you talking about? There's no tuition. This place is free."

Free? Anyone could go? Navid couldn't believe that. Back in the Earth Kingdom, the bending schools were only accessible to a few, and people like him could very well live their whole lives without ever learning to properly control the abilities they had been born with. He had just assumed things worked the same way in the United Republic, but apparently not.

"You have to pay to learn your own element in the Earth Kingdom?" Karnuk asked.

"Uh... yeah. What about in the North Pole?"

"It's the same as here. Dude, that's crazy that you guys do that," Karnuk said. From his perspective, doing things the other way was insanity. Navid was beginning to understand how important it was that, as the Avatar, he visited all the nations so as to learn how each one of them saw things. Having never left the Earth Kingdom before, his world view was bound to be narrow. He thought about the Fire Nation again. Hopefully he'd get to go there one day.

"You must be an amazing Waterbender, then," he said. "You've been training for years, right? Both in the North Pole and here."

"I don't know about 'amazing', but yeah, I've been training since I was little. I wanna become a master soon and put my bending to good use."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm the first bender to be born in my family in like, six generations or something. I know it sounds silly, but I think there's gotta be a reason for that. I wanna use it, use it well. I think my dad wants me to be a scholar like him, though." Now that he was actually talking to him, Navid thought Karnuk sounded a lot less childish than the first impression he gave. He had a clear goal, and not everyone could say that. "You get to do that times four, which is absolutely bonkers to me."

Navid sighed. He wished he could be that excited.

"Yeah, the part with the elements is cool, I guess. The part that no one tells you about is what comes with them."

"What are you talking about?"

Navid was certain Alima would be furious if she knew he was talking so openly to someone she didn't even know. But something Takashi said had resonated with him. His identity belonged to him. So did his story. He could tell if he wanted.

"Some people tried to kill me earlier this week."

Karnuk took a second to process that. "For real?" Upon Navid's nod, he added: "Shit, that's how you got those burns, right? Aw, man, I didn't know, I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I got away. But... it's a bit messed up that someone would wanna do that to me just because I can bend more elements."

"Totally."

"Yeah."

What a way to put a huge damper on a conversation. Fortunately, Karnuk didn't seem to be the type to dwell on dark thoughts for too long. Soon, the topic changed to something lighter. Then it changed again, then once more. At times, they almost choked on their own food with laughter and at others they went back to serious stuff. When you're the Avatar, unusual conversations become the norm. A regular interchange like this was the exception in Navid's case, and he enjoyed every second of it. His identity was meant to be kept a secret, but right now, he couldn't be happier it had gotten out.

The thirty minutes they had flew by. As usual, Navid didn't realize how badly he needed a break, not just in the literal sense. Ever since he'd been told he was the Avatar, over a year earlier, he had been thinking about trainings and responsibilities almost non-stop. It was a huge relief to have the chance to be talking about anything else, really, to be hearing someone else's story for a change. This was nice.

"I should probably go back," he said.

"I'll go with you so you don't end up in the girls' locker room or something," Karnuk replied, making another joke.

"Hey! Just because I'm bad at directions, doesn't mean I can't read the signs!"

The banter meant the beginning of a potential friendship that Navid was hoping to nurture, even if it would probably be disapproved of by the people taking care of him. Another secret he would have to keep. He was happy Takashi didn't mind. Now that he was thinking about it, Navid realized it made sense, since he wasn't directly related to Avatar Korra's old circle of friends and allies. He was just filling in for Mako's daughter Naoki who couldn't be there, so it figured that he was more flexible with Alima's rules. His connection to her was through the team he and Lengyun were a part of. Navid was so mad that Lengyun hadn't even mentioned that. He had a few things he wanted to ask Takashi, but when he and Karnuk got back to the training area where they previously were, he wasn't there.

Instead, Mako was waiting for them.

"Hello, there," the elder said.

"Hi, Mako," a confused Navid replied. "What are you d-"

"Nice to meet you," the old Firebender said to Karnuk, interrupting Navid. The other teenager replied politely and bowed, introducing himself. "I'm glad to see you're making friends, Navid."

"Yeah, thanks. Um, where is Takashi?"

"He called me and asked if I could pick you up. He needed to leave, he had an emergency."

"Is everything okay?"

"According to him, yes. He asked me to say he'll see you again tomorrow. But he needed to leave. It couldn't wait."

-/-/-

LENGYUN Beifong lived in an apartment building a few blocks away from the oceanfront.

It wasn't a luxury condo or anything, but it was significantly more stylish than Mako's. Or at least, that's what Sora thought when he first got in, having had little trouble picking his lock as well. Stealth had always been one of his top skills, ever since he'd begun training back home, years earlier. His instructors often praised him and his ability to go unnoticed, saying it would be very useful in whatever assignments he received. They weren't wrong. Investigating Alima Sato's friends to figure out which one of them was hosting the teenager had required him to employ those abilities. Fortunately, the Earthbender was still at the Sato manor, and the apartment was empty.

But unlike Mako's home, this one had what Sora was looking for.

The two unwashed teacups in the sink were the first clue. Excited, Sora walked right past the living room and headed for the hallway with its four doors. The first one was the trophy room. Beifong's titles from his previous career as a star athlete sat there, gathering dust. He wondered if the man even cared that they were there. The other door was the main bedroom, which was obviously occupied by the owner of the place. Third door was a bathroom, which only left the guest room. This had to be it. There was a part of Sora that desperately needed this to be the right place, because he didn't have any idea where else to look if the Avatar wasn't here. But when he opened the door, his suspicions were confirmed.

A half-unpacked suitcase on the floor, an unmade bed, a hairbrush on the nightstand; all the signs of recent occupation. Approaching the bag for closer inspection made every last trace of doubt disappear from his mind: those clothes belonged to a teenage boy, alright. Between T-shirts and pants, Sora also found an item that didn't look like it fit there: a bright blue leather armband with motifs that seemed much more Water Tribe than Earth Kingdom. It took him a few seconds to realize what that was and what it was doing there. Of course. That armband had belonged to the boy, just not in this life. Sora interpreted that as a sign from the spirits. The Avatar never died, not permanently. It was a cycle. He was being told that his path was a righteous one and that he shouldn't feel bad for what he was about to do; the boy would be reborn anyway. Sora put the armband in his jacket, as that would be very useful when he went back home.

The particular set of skills he possessed had made him an indispensable asset in the team that the High Command of the Fire Army had put together some fifteen months earlier. The original plan had been to select three of the top students of the Royal Fire Academy for Girls, appointed by the Headmistress herself, as the Academy's graduates were known throughout the Fire Nation for their prowess. But after three outstanding young firebending prodigies had been selected, High Commander Irma had insisted on including a fourth member in the team, and she personally vouched for Sora. Not that he was the first of the Yuyan Archers to be known for his deadly aim, but he also had the advantage of coming from a long line of herbalists whose knowledge extended well beyond medicinal uses. His parents and great-parents hadn't been celebrated like they deserved, though, as previous monarchs had outlawed their traditional practices, following the footsteps of Fire Lord Zuko. But since the Rupture, the ban had been lifted, and his family was rekindling those ancient and nearly-lost traditions. That tipped the scales in his favour, and he was selected to be the final member of the team that would infiltrate the United Republic, kill the Avatar and the exiled princess Akiko, and restore the honour and prestige of the Fire Nation. The time to use those skills had come.

Taking out the portable utensils he had brought with him, he started concocting the poison that would accomplish what Reiki and Aomi had failed to do a few days earlier. It wasn't an easy thing to do. The mixture needed to be strong enough to kill him before the teenager's body activated the Avatar State in a desperate attempt to survive. That would actually be the worst possible outcome. However, it also needed to be imperceptible, so that he wouldn't be alarmed upon entering the room and leave. The liquid was to be sprayed on a few surfaces in the room in quantities small enough to not cause any visible wetness, but large enough to be lethal. Sora had practised many times how to reach the perfect balance, and he had prepared many vials of the venom. He couldn't bring any of them, though, as the liquid needed to be fresh to be effective. He had also never used it. The Avatar would be his first guinea pig.

When the poison was ready, Sora put on his mask and sprayed it on every object likely to touch the boy's face. Pillows, towels, clothes. Visually, they looked exactly the same before and after the spray had been applied, but the truth was that they were now as deadly as the fangs of a cat viper. Packing his things, Sora got ready to leave. He didn't know when Lengyun or the Avatar would be back, but he didn't want to take any chances. However, his luck seemed to have run out when he heard the front door being opened very, very slowly. From where he was, inside the guest bedroom, he couldn't peek into the hallway without being seen by whoever was out there, so he stayed as quiet as he could and listened, feeling his weapons in his pockets and in the folds of his clothes. The person took careful steps: one, two. It couldn't be Lengyun, because why would he be walking like that in his own house? The person on the other side of the door knew someone was in there. When Sora heard the door of the trophy room being pushed open, he knew he had a slim window of opportunity. He pulled out one of his blades, checked that it contained a tiny amount of knock-out potion, opened the door and threw it at the figure he saw down the hall.

The projectile hit the man in the neck and he let out a scream before taking his hand to the point of contact. Before passing out, he managed to throw a fire punch at Sora, who dodged it as the strange man collapsed to his knees and then lost consciousness. Sora had no idea who he was. Upon closer inspection, though, he noticed his clothes looked like a military uniform and that was not good at all. He quickly got the rest of his things, erasing all evidence he had been there, and headed to the door. This could ruin everything. When Lengyun got home and saw an unconscious person on the floor, he would know something was wrong. Damn it. Right now, though, Sora had to leave. He opened the front door, but when he turned around to close it, he was surprised to see the other man was right behind him:

"Going somewhere?" he said before firebending at him.

Ducking just in time, Sora felt the heat on the top of his head as he squatted on pure reflex, not understanding how that was possible. How was he resisting the toxin? He should've been out cold. Even though Sora didn't understand, that didn't mean he wouldn't fight back. Launching himself towards the Firebender, he used his body weight to push him back and they both fell. He pulled out one of his many hidden blades and used it to pierce the bender's left sleeve to the floor, pinning him down. The other man swung his free hand, throwing a horizontal circle of flame at Sora, who somersaulted forward to avoid it and ran to the door again, hoping this time his opponent would stay down. He needed to get away from that apartment immediately, or else he would risk ruining everything.

He ran to the stairs and got down the steps as fast as he could. He was able to put a little bit of distance between him and the Firebender, who was probably struggling to get free. When he was almost at ground floor, he looked up and saw him starting to pursue him. He had ripped off the sleeve of his shirt in order to come after Sora. Determined, the bender skipped over the handrail and threw himself down the shaft, shooting flame propellers out of his soles to cushion his fall. They got to the ground floor almost at the same time, and Sora threw more of his miniature knives and blades at the bender, who was quick enough to hide behind a pillar to avoid getting hit.

Sora shoved past the few people on the lobby as he ran for his life in order to get away. He heard the man behind him yelling "stop". Sora hurled another blade at him, but this time he dodged it and immediately used one foot to push himself off the reception counter and, while spinning in the air, generated flame with the other leg. Forced to dodge the blaze, Sora ducked and allowed the blast to go over his head, hitting the door behind him and setting it on fire. Before Sora could pull out another one of his weapons, the bender had caught up to him and wrestled him to the ground, and the two of them rolled.

"Let go of me!" Sora yelled.

"You're under arrest!" the man said as he tried to restrain him and bring out handcuffs.

"You're a disgrace to real Firebenders," Sora said, unable to contain his anger. He was doing a service to the nation that birthed firebending and this man was using that very same art to try and stop him. Sora got a good look at the guy for the first time. His white skin and gold eyes would make him go completely unnoticed in the Fire Nation, but his despicable behaviour was evidence he was from the United Republic. Sora needed to get free before he got handcuffed. If he got caught, he would ruin the mission for everyone. He would ruin it for Zarya. Using his knee to hit his attacker in the stomach, he managed to free his arm for a brief moment which he used to pull another dart from inside his jacket. But before he could stab him, the man breathed fire against his hand, burning it and making Sora drop the weapon as he yelled in pain. Pinned to the ground by his opponent's elbow, Sora couldn't do anything as the man then took his own dart and injected it into Sora's neck, forcing the potion into his body. Sora tried to stay awake, but he knew there was nothing he could do against his own creation. Before his eyelids closed, suddenly unable to bear their own weight, he noticed the streak of grey hair on his attacker's head. When he woke up, the mission would be over. He had failed. Zarya's face was the last image his brain managed to conjure before he passed out completely.

-/-/-

THE day had been massively unproductive.

Lengyun and Alima had spent all day interviewing each and every one of her employees. Lengyun was certain it wouldn't work before they were even halfway done, but he also couldn't leave her. If she was right and one of them was dangerous, a fight could have occurred and he didn't want her to be alone. But nothing happened. Everyone had answered all her questions calmly and there were no inconsistencies in any of what they had said. At the end of the day, Alima was so frustrated Lengyun thought she might actually cry, although he had never seen her do that. Despite his best efforts to comfort her, she wasn't having any of it. After thanking him for the help, she retired to her chambers and promised to call him if she had other ideas.

As he drove back home, Lengyun wondered if she was wrong and there wasn't a spy in her house. She wasn't wrong very often, though, and in that case, maybe it wasn't a good idea to leave her there alone. But where could he take her? He couldn't even imagine her leaving her mansion to go hide for a few days in his apartment, which to her was probably as tiny as a...

His head didn't finish that thought. When he turned the corner of his block, he had to stop the car. The fire department had cordoned off the street. His street. Stepping out of the car, Lengyun saw a fire truck right outside his building. With their ladders in position, Waterbenders did their best to control the raging flames that came out of one of the floors. It took Lengyun a few minutes to recover from the shock of realizing that it wasn't just any apartment that was being destroyed by flames. It was his.


End file.
